PNE signed Andrew Moran from Brighton on transfer deadline day
Preston North End CEO Peter Ridsdale says the days of picking up Premier League youngsters on the cheap are long gone.
A decade ago, the Lilywhites had success bringing in in the likes of Ben Pearson from Manchester United and Aston Villa duo Daniel Johnson and Callum Robinson. All three went on to become stalwarts for PNE and the latter was eventually sold to Sheffield United for a reported £7million.
Since then, North End fans have been urging the club to recruit more assets and get back player trading. The recent, permanent signings of Thierry Small, Andrew Moran and Odel Offiah represent a step forward in that regard - the latter two both cost in excess of £1million from Brighton.
Discussing the topic in an interview with the Lancashire Post last week, Ridsdale said: “What has changed, and I think the manager touched on this, is when we brought in Daniel Johnson and Callum (Robinson), we were dealing with the managers of the clubs at the time.
“Who, once they decided they didn't want them, were happy just to do a deal. Daniel cost us £50,000. I think Callum, we would’ve paid £175,000 for. A Ben Pearson, £350,000. You try and get a good 20, 21-year-old out of the Premier League now. A, you are dealing with the sporting director.
“He's got his own budget, they start-off at £3/4/5million, and we can't afford that. So, the landscape has changed. The price of young talent, over the last 10 years since we got promotion to the Championship, has changed enormously - as has what they're paying the young talent.
“So, some of the wages now that the top teams in the Premier League are paying to people who are playing in their under-21s are just outrageous; we just can't get anywhere near them. So, that market's become more complicated but it doesn't mean to say it doesn't exist if you can work as smart as you can.”
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