Preston North End takeover: Big Amr Zedan breakthrough emerges | OneFootball

Preston North End could be set for a change in ownership in the near future

Preston North End are set for another mid-table finish under Paul Heckingbottom this year.

The Lilywhites were in contention for a top six position in the first half of the campaign, but they have been unable to sustain their form and have fallen into the bottom half of the Championship.

The Lancashire outfit still have a few more games left to get back into the top half of the table, but the play-offs are effectively out of reach.

The club are also not in danger of being relegated to League One, meaning their focus can already turn to the summer and preparing for the next campaign.

It could prove to be a busy summer at Deepdale, and Heckingbottom will be keen to build a team capable of maintaining a promotion battle through the entire term.

Preston haven’t competed in the Premier League, and their last top flight campaign came in 1961.

Preston takeover talks

It has been reported by Alan Nixon that Amr Zedan is in advanced talks to buy Preston ahead of the end of the campaign.

The American-Saudi businessman was a VIP guest for the team’s 1-1 draw against QPR on Monday afternoon with negotiations underway.

It’s understood that it could take between £12 and 15 million to buy the Championship side from the Hemmings family.

Zedan has been looking to find a deal to buy Preston for the last few months, and it’s believed that he is working with a local businessman in his attempt to purchase the club.

However, it remains to be seen whether he can convince the current owners to cash in at this stage, and he will also need to get through the EFL’s Owners and Directors’ Test in order to finalise any agreement.

Zedan has met with Ian Sampson and Peter Ridsdale as part of his bid to buy the club, although the latter is not expected to be a part of the takeover talks.

The Hemmings family are keen to find a proper next owner for Preston, with the family taking control after Trevor Hemmings’ passing in 2021.

Heckingbottom’s side are currently 14th in the table, 10 points adrift of the play-off places with just five games to go.

Next up for the Lancashire outfit is a trip to face relegation-fighting Charlton Athletic at the Valley on 11 April in a 3pm kick-off.

Preston takeover will depend on the Hemmings family

If the Hemmings family are happy to sell to Zedan, then a sale will surely be agreed when the asking price is around the £12 to 15 million mark.

Preston are a historic giant of English football, so there is a lot of potential to raise the value of the club under the right ownership.

So it’s a promising investment opportunity for someone with a willingness to pour money into that kind of project.

But Zedan will have to convince the Hemmings family that he has Preston’s interests first, as they will want to ensure the future of the team beyond their time as owners.