Preston North End poised to take advantage of Stoke City player decision | OneFootball

The Northern Irishman recently left the Bet365 Stadium

Preston North End are set to complete the signing of Northern Ireland international midfielder, Jordan Thompson, who recently departed Stoke City.

This is according to a fresh update from Alan Nixon via Patreon, as Paul Heckingbottom looks to finalise some early post-season business at Deepdale ahead of his first full season in charge of the Lancashire outfit.

The Lilywhites were embroiled in the end-of-season relegation battle in the Championship alongside Thompson's former employers following a disastrous run of league form which coincided with an admirable run to the FA Cup quarter-finals, although their safety in the second-tier, which has now reached a decade-long period, was secured with a 2-2 draw away to play-off semi-finalists, Bristol City.

Plenty of change is in the air at Preston and for Mark Robins at the Bet365 Stadium, with both clubs recently announcing their respective retained lists ahead of the season's official conclusion on June 30th, with Heckingbottom taking full advantage of the Potters' decision to part ways with their long-serving central midfield player.

Thompson has become a steady performer at the level ever since moving to the Potteries from North End's bitter rivals, Blackpool, in the winter of 2020, when his compatriot, Michael O'Neill, was overseeing his first transfer window in charge of the club after arriving in the Autumn of 2019.

The former Manchester United academy graduate has made the bulk of his career appearances for Stoke as a result of his long-standing association with the club, featuring 178 times in total, scoring four times as well as registering eight assists.

However, in a campaign which began with Steven Schumacher at the helm, before the subsequent appointments of Narcis Pelach and, subsequently, Robins, Thompson failed to regain his previously regular spot in the starting lineup, making just 23 Championship appearances - only 13 of which were starts - as well as suffering a groin issue between December and February.

After the Reds also preserved their second-tier status with a goalless draw against Derby County, the club's current longest-serving player was released alongside the equally experienced trio of Michael Rose, Enda Stevens and Lynden Gooch.

And, just 10 days after the confirmation of his departure, Thompson is now set for an immediate Championship reprieve as Nixon reports that North End have swooped for the 28-year-old, who will immediately slot into Heckingbottom's squad after North End bid farewell to a long-serving midfielder of their own, with Ryan Ledson departing after a seven-and-a-half year stint at Deepdale.

It was also exclusively revealed by Football League World that Preston had agreed a deal to re-sign former loanee, Daniel Iversen, on a permanent basis following Freddie Woodman's departure, and Nixon has also stated that negotiations are close to being sealed.

Jordan Thompson is an adequate Ryan Ledson replacement for Preston North End

Compared to many other Championship clubs, North End haven't become notorious for breaking the bank for signings in recent times, and that isn't set to change with the arrival of Thompson, although that doesn't take away from how smart a signing this is set to be for Heckingbottom.

It is ESTIMATED by Capology that the 38-time international was earning £10,000 per week at Stoke during his final year, and that would put him level with North End regulars Jack Whatmough and Andrew Hughes in terms of the Lilywhites' estimated payroll, meaning he would be expected to feature prominently.

Thompson was also linked with a surprise move to Swedish giants, AIK, in January as his contract at the Bet365 wound down, showing that he is still very highly-rated as a combative midfielder with the occasional tendency to create for teammates and score himself.