Paul Heckingbottom drops honest Preston North End transfer update | OneFootball

Paul Heckingbottom has given an update on whether Preston will be able to improve the squad next month

Paul Heckingbottom has outlined where his priorities lie in the upcoming January transfer window, but admits that Preston North End "need to move players" to bring new faces in.

The Lancashire Post has reported that the Preston boss is keen to add to the squad next month, but squad limits and potential funds may stand in their way.

The Lilywhites had a busier summer than most, bringing in 12 new faces to Deepdale as Heckingbottom looked to freshen up the squad following a lackadaisical second half of the campaign last season, which saw them in the battle to avoid relegation on the final day.

Fast-forward to the end of 2025, North End are third in the Championship. But with seven points separating them and 16th, they can't afford to rest on their laurels.

Therefore, the January window presents an opportunity to give the side a much-needed boost to retain their top six status and perhaps make an outside run at the top two.

Paul Heckingbottom outlines "two things" which must be done before January signings can be made

Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom, via a report from the Lancashire Post, has said that he hopes to improve the squad over the upcoming January transfer window, as history tells us that teams that don't usually run out of steam and can't continue their good form from the first half of the campaign to the second.

Given how close the play-off race is currently, it's not too outlandish a prediction to believe that a good winter window may be the difference between a promotion to the Premier League and, for Preston, a 12th consecutive Championship campaign.

"Not many teams have got promoted without signing in January...I can only think of one [his Sheffield United team]," Heckingbottom said.

"Listen, it's hard. If you're asking, do we want to do business? Yeah, definitely. We want to try and improve and give ourselves the best chance in a really, really tough league.

"There are two things for us. We've named 25 in the squad, and then we've got finances. If we've got 25, we need to move players to bring players in, or leave players out. And then I'm saying we have to find the funds and the money to do that, or we can't."

On who Preston are going to target this winter, Heckingbottom relayed that he desired to bring in another striker in the summer, and even with Milutin Osmajic now just two games off of completing a nine-game ban, and Daniel Jebbison finding form, that hasn't changed.

"For me, it's crucial, it's critical. I think that's one of the big things we really tried to change - having ways of scoring goals," Heckingbottom added.

"Too often last year, we were putting in performances which were easily on par with this year. We had the same amount of control in games with the ball or, arguably, more last year, without the ball, but we didn't come away with wins.

"I think the difference is we've been able to turn moments into chances, and then chances into goals this year, which is important. So, I'd always prioritise that. It's a big, big thing."

Preston North End will be hoping for a similar quality window in January to their summer one

On face value, Preston's transfer window in the summer doesn't excite. Of the 12 new arrivals, only Odel Offiah arrived for a fee, with the Lilywhites relying a lot on free transfers and loans to help freshen up the squad.

However, it's been the likes of Daniel Iverson and Thierry Small, who arrived at Deepdale for nothing, and Harrison Armstrong, Alfie Devine and Daniel Jebbison, who are on loan from Premier League sides, who have been the standouts for Paul Heckingbottom this season.

Preston has shown that, despite a small budget, they can still attract quality operators at the level, and with Paul Heckingbottom at the helm, they have someone who has promotion experience who can get the best out of them.

The first half of the campaign couldn't have gone much better for the Lilywhites, but now it's all about maintaining that momentum into 2026. If they get the January window right, they could be in with an outside chance at promotion.