Preston North End: Paul Heckingbottom drops huge contract claim on star wanted by Sheffield United, Sunderland | OneFootball

Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom has revealed a damning admission on Emil Riis' future with the club as his contract saga rumbles on

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom has dropped a major hint on the future of top scorer Emil Riis, who now appears poised to leave Deepdale as a free agent this summer amid a drawn-out contract saga.

Riis' immediate future with the club has been up in the air for quite some time, with the Dane in the final throes of his current contract with North End.

The 26-year-old has been a consistent goalscorer for Preston in recent years. After a mixed first campaign following his arrival from Randers FC, Riis scored on 20 occasions across all competitions in the 2021/22 season and has recorded double digits for goals in the Championship this term, more than any other Preston player.

However, it has now been revealed that Riis, who was linked to promotion-chasing duo Sheffield United and Sunderland in the most recent transfer window, is yet to be offered a new contract.

The striker scored his 10th league goal of the season in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Tuesday evening and is regarded as a key player under Heckingbottom, but looks set to leave as a free agent once his deal runs down.

Paul Heckingbottom drops big Emil Riis, Preston North End contract update

Heckingbottom delivered a crucial update to BBC Radio Lancashire on Thursday ahead of Preston's home clash against Portsmouth this weekend.

The 47-year-old has revealed Riis is currently set to depart and there will be no hard feelings when that happens, and is unsure whether a new deal will be offered to the forward.

"Yeah, as it stands now he'd be leaving," Heckingbottom explained.

"It's not up to me, it's up to Emil. It's up to any player who's out of contract. It's totally up to them what they want to do.

"I think he's our top league scorer now as well. Listen, he's done great.

"Obviously, I've seen so much happen before working with him as well. I think I said after, I can't remember which game it was, where he came on and scored - Milly (Milutin Osmajic) came off and I think it was more the fans' reaction at Milly coming off than Emil going on.

"But, you know, as a footballer, you've got to want to prove people wrong. So, Emil reacted in a certain way when he scored.

"But it's like I said at the time, he's done so many good things here. So many good things. But every player is well within their rights, just as every club is. When contracts are up, you can't have anyone's hand behind their back.

"We don’t want any players here who don't want to be here. And likewise, players don't want to play for a club who don't want them - simple. So, yeah, when contracts are up they should just be honoured and everyone should be relaxed about it.

"There should be no hard feeling against players who want to leave. And likewise, if clubs don't want to renew contracts, it's just an opportunity to change.

"Emil's been fine. He's a great guy, lovely guy. I thought he played really well midweek. I'm pleased he got the goal because his performance was very good, but people would’ve been talking about opportunities missed rather than a fantastic goal he scored.

"That's the life of a striker. You get chastised for missing chances but you have to keep being there."

Preston North End's Emil Riis may have no shortage of suitors upon exit amid Sheffield United, Sunderland interest

As aforementioned, Riis was of reported interest to both the Blades and Sunderland back in January.

Those sides may look elsewhere if they both gain promotion to the Premier League, but you would imagine a host of sides towards the top-end of the Championship may set their sights on Riis this summer.

The towering striker has endured tough luck with injuries in recent years but remains an impressive source of goals when fully fit. His form this season has been encouraging and will surely put him in the shop window if he does indeed depart, which now looks a likely scenario.