The forward spent last season on loan with the Lilywhites
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Daniel Jebbison | CameraSport - Andrew Kearns
The AFC Bournemouth striker spent last season on loan at Deepdale and made 40 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom said he wanted to try and bring all loan men back to the club this summer, and PNE secured Alfie Devine’s permanent signature this week.
However, Blackburn Rovers have been strongly linked with a move for Jebbison - though suggestions of a deal being close were played down by the Lancashire Telegraph.
It has been claimed the Ewood Park side are exploring a loan deal with the option-to-buy Jebbison permanently.
Now, journalist Alan Nixon has reported that PNE are keen on a second loan spell but may not be able to match Blackburn’s offer to Bournemouth.
He also claims there is interest from Germany in Jebbison, though the Lancashire rivals are labelled as ‘main contenders’.
The Lancashire Post understands that Bournemouth will seek a sizable fee for the centre-forward, but PNE have indeed held talks and are monitoring the situation.
Jebbison thoroughly enjoyed his time at Deepdale and posted a classy message at the end of the season which ended: ‘You guys will always hold a special place in my heart.’
When he was asked - in late April - about his immediate future, Jebbison did not rule out a return to North End but said he wanted to play at the highest level possible.
Heckingbottom’s strong relationship with the player has been well documented and last season saw Jebbison get more football than any of his previous.
The PNE boss felt he got the Canadian back to the levels he was at as a promising youngster - Heckingbottom handed Jebbison his Premier League debut at 17-years-of-age.
Reports of Preston’s boss being keen to reunite with the striker are therefore unsurprising. In April, he made his feelings clear on the 22-year-old’s potential.
“The big thing for me, in his improvement, is if you look at his athletic capabilities today, he wasn't at that level when we took him,” said Heckingbottom.
“I said about it... injuries, (he) wasn’t robust enough and he's got himself on the training pitch more and more often.
“All you're going to see is a better athlete out there. There’s so much more to come from him as well in terms of that aspect and that can only help his football.”
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