Preston North End and Leyton Orient in race to sign Aston Villa player | OneFootball

Preston North End and Leyton Orient are among a host of clubs eyeing a move for Finley Munroe, currently on loan at Swindon Town from Aston Villa.

Preston North End and Leyton Orient are in the race for Aston Villa youngster Finley Munroe, who has made 23 League Two appearances on loan with Swindon Town this term.

That's according to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke via X, stating that North End and Orient are among a host of clubs eyeing moves for the 20-year-old.

Munroe's contributions from left-wing-back have helped Swindon climb to second in the League Two table, just two points adrift of surprise fourth-tier leaders Bromley.

Ian Holloway's men return to league action on Saturday, 17 January, when they face Salford City on home soil.

For now, though, the Wiltshire outfit will be focused on their upcoming FA Cup clash away at Salford, with the victorious side progressing to the fourth round.

Preston and Leyton Orient eye Finley Munroe

With the January transfer window presenting a busy time for all 72 EFL clubs, Villa's Munroe has attracted plenty of interest by notching two goals and six assists in League Two during his loan spell with Swindon.

Preston have eyed the former Real Union man, with Paul Heckingbottom's side keen to bolster their chances of securing a top-six spot in the Championship.

The Lancashire club strengthened their playoff bid by defeating Bristol City 2-0 on Sunday, thanks to goals from Lewis Dobbin and Alfie Devine at Ashton Gate.

Meanwhile, fellow interested party Leyton Orient sit just one point above the League One relegation zone after suffering a 3-1 defeat to London rivals Wimbledon on New Year's Day before their clash with Stevenage was postponed.

Munroe has been an outstanding performer for Swindon in League Two, showing that he would be an asset for either Preston or Orient in the Championship or League One, respectively.

Finley Munroe can help Preston achieve playoff dream

North End have enjoyed a largely successful campaign in the Championship so far, and consequently sit fourth in the second tier with 43 points from 26 games.

However, the Deepdale club are a mere two points ahead of seventh-place Hull City, and may need all the help they can get in the January transfer window to land a top-six spot come the end of the season.

Munroe's exceptional performances for League Two high-fliers Swindon prove that he is ready to produce the goods in a higher division, while his strong football education from the Aston Villa academy makes him an attractive option for Preston.

Heckingbottom's side have reinforced their playoff credentials with back-to-back wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City, having previously endured a three-game winless run.

Although the Lilywhites' testing Festive schedule is over, the run-in to the end of the Championship season is set to be a testing one, with clashes against automatic promotion contenders Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town arriving later in January.

Preston can signal their intent of finishing in the playoffs by landing the services of Munroe amid rival interest in the transfer market.