Preston North End ready to talk contract terms with defender as the summer rebuild at Deepdale starts
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Diaby was the only senior out-of-contract player offered a new deal, with the retained list published yesterday seeing 13 players released.
Three of the players currently retained – Josh Harrop, Tom Bayliss and Matthew Olosunde – have been transfer-listed, the trio all having a year left to run on their contracts.
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Hide AdAs things stand PNE have 20 first-team players in their squad and seven youngsters with professional deals. The latest to join the pro ranks is Dana Amaral after completing his two-year scholarship.
The 20 include the three transfer-listed players, Adam O’Reilly who is on loan at League of Ireland side St Patrick’s Athletic until July, and Lewis Coulton who North End triggered a contract extension on.
So there is plenty of scope to do incoming business and talks will take place with Diaby’s agent tomorrow over a new contract.
The defender has made four starts and three substitute appearances since signing a short-term deal in January following a spell on trial as he approached the end of a two-year anti-doping ban.
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Hide AdPNE manager Ryan Lowe told the Lancashire Post: “Bambo’s day-by-day attitude has been spot on, which for me is a big thing.
"He’s had some good performances, he’s had some rocky performances, we have to get him to be the best he can be.
"With the contract offer he has got the opportunity to do that and he is going to be fighting it out with the other centre-backs and maybe one or two more if they come in.”
Tom Barkhuizen was the big name on the list of those leaving. He’s played more than 200 games for North End but had a torrid time with injuries and the after-effects of Covid this season.
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Hide AdHe was in talks over a new deal earlier in the season but an agreement couldn’t be reached. The winger hasn’t played since January’s 1-0 defeat at Swansea when he suffered an ankle injury.
The other players released were Connor Ripley, Ethan Walker, Izzy Brown, Jack Baxter, Jacob Holland-Wilkinson, Jamie Thomas, Joe Rafferty, Joe Rodwell-Grant, Mathew Hudson, Oliver Lombard, Paul Huntington and Scott Sinclair.