Sources: Preston North End in pole position to sign midfielder ahead of Championship rivals
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Sources: Preston North End in pole position to sign midfielder ahead of Championship rivals

Wayne Veysey
Wayne Veysey

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

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Preston North End are leading the race to sign in-demand Doncaster Rovers midfielder Ben Whiteman, Football Insider can reveal.

The Championship club are working on a deal for the 24-year-old midfielder this month.

Whiteman has also been linked with Blackburn Rovers and Bristol City but Football Insider has been told that Preston are in pole position.

The Lilywhites are in the market for midfielder reinforcements with key players Daniel Johnson, Ben Pearson and Alan Browne all entering the final six months of their contract.

The trio have all been linked with moves away and are free to negotiate pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs this month.

Peter Ridsdale, the owner's representative at PNE, has insisted the club have offered them "substantial" new contracts but it looks unlikely they will commit their future to the club.

If they were to leave it would leave manager Alex Neil with the inexperienced Tom Bayliss, veteran Paul Gallagher and Ryan Ledson as his only central-midfield options.

Whiteman has been an ever-present in League One for Rovers this season and has contributed three goals and five assists in 18 games.

LancsLive reported earlier this month the Rochdale-born ace is keen on a move to Deepdale.

He almost made the step-up to the Championship in the summer with Rovers' Yorkshire rivals Barnsley seeing a £1.3million bid rejected.

The midfielder has been a standout performer in the third tier since moving to the Keepmoat, initially on loan, from Sheffield United in 2017.

He has played 159 times for Rovers and became club captain in August 2019.

In other news, Football Insider can reveal Preston North End are in advanced talks to sign a Fleetwood striker.

Preston North End
Doncaster Rovers
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