Brighton & Brentford to scout Preston North End player ahead of potential transfer swoop | OneFootball

Brentford and Brighton are interested in talented Preston youngster Theo Mawene.

Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion are both keeping tabs on highly-rated Preston North End midfielder Theo Mawene as they weigh up a January move for the youngster.

The 17-year-old midfielder is regarded as one of the top talents at North End, with his performances for the academy seeing him involved with the first-team last season, and he made his senior debut towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

The Lilywhites have high hopes for Mawene, who is the son of former favourite, Youl, although he is yet to feature for Paul Heckingbottom’s side this season as they continue to pull clear of any relegation trouble.

Theo Mawene attracting transfer interest from Brentford and Brighton

However, they could face a battle to keep hold of the teenager, as The Sun reporter Alan Nixon has revealed that Mawene is being tracked by Brentford and Brighton.

He states that the Premier League duo will send scouts to watch Mawene when Preston take on Man Utd in the FA Youth Cup, with the fixture to be played on January 17.

Mawene has been integral to North End’s impressive run in the prestigious youth tournament, which included scoring a beauty as they thrashed Liverpool 4-1 in the third round.

But, this will be another stern test, with United having real pedigree in this competition, and it will be a huge test for Preston against a higher-ranked academy.

Preston must try to build around Theo Mawene moving forward

Firstly, it’s encouraging that clubs like Brentford and Brighton are interested in Mawene, as they have developed a reputation for being excellent at identifying talent.

But, of course, for Preston, it’s about keeping Mawene and building around youngsters like him in the years to come.

They have already shown Mawene that he can have a pathway to the first-team, and the hope will be that he can see that and opts to stay at Deepdale as opposed to struggling for minutes, or getting shipped out on loan, at the Bees or the Seagulls.

Preston don’t have the resources of many Championship rivals, which means it’s imperative that they keep hold of their talented young players, and Mawene certainly falls into that category.

The hope would be that they give the player an opportunity to play, and a move may be on the cards in a few years' time if it’s clear that he can make the step up, but that would ensure North End make a substantial profit.