With Jeff Bezos apparently about to buy his way into Liverpool, a well publicised INEOS-funded buy in at Manchester United, Reverend and the Makers’ takeover at Sheffield FC, Ryan Reynolds big welcome to Wrexham, and Manchester City’s somewhat dated and tedious “oil money, etc” early 20th century takeover, Preston North End are the latest North West football club to be in the proverbial window.
Chairman Ian Penrose (pictured, courtesy PNE) posted a statement on the club website at the weekend, ahead of the team’s opening day Championship defeat to local rivals Bolton Wanderers, confirming that the club is in “active negotiations” with potential buyers.
Penrose said: “In the autumn of 2025, the club stated that it had begun the process of actively searching for a new owner of PNE, a process that we considered could take up to two years. In January 2026, I updated that we had received a number of initial tentative approaches, and since then we have worked diligently to progress matters.
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“I can confirm that we are in negotiations with parties who have made offers to buy PNE on terms that are acceptable to the Hemmings family. Whilst we would like to be able to provide a running commentary and more details for our fans, for legal and regulatory reasons, we are prevented from doing so.
“The sale of a football club is a lengthy and complex process, involving legal, financial and commercial due diligence, and the need for the buyer to satisfy regulatory obligations and submissions, including a funded two-year business plan. We have seen this week with events at Derby County that such a process is not straightforward.
“The club and the potential new owners are very conscious of the need to conclude matters promptly in order to provide certainty for many reasons. Internally, we are keeping a clear divide between our football operations and the transaction, in order to minimise distraction. Whilst certain aspects, including regulatory approvals, are outside of our control, we will continue to work hard to deliver a successful outcome for the club and fans.”
Penrose also sought to reassure fans that the club would continue to be diligently cared for while the sale process takes place: “We are all aware of the need to continue to invest to take PNE forward. This summer, we have already committed to transfer fees of around £10 million, which is far in excess of our previous summer record spending. We were delighted to secure the signing of Alfie Devine for a record fee that was nearly three times the highest transfer fee ever paid by PNE,” he said.
“We are delighted that today we have signed both Léo Leroy and Harry Clarke for combined fees that exceed £4 million. Léo’s transfer fee alone represents what would have been a record transfer fee for PNE, prior to the signing of Alfie. These follow the signings of Delano Burgzorg and Jusef Erabi, both of whom join us on loan with an option to buy, and the earlier signing of Lee Nicholls. We have, over the past number of transfer windows, begun to build a squad of players we own and who offer long-term value to the club.”
He added: “All this transfer activity follows an investment of over £1.5 million into creating a new pitch at Deepdale, to help improve the consistency of our playing style throughout the winter and hopefully reduce the number of injuries that we suffer. The ground staff have done a fantastic job in making the pitch perfect and overseeing its construction. The pitch is looking Premier League quality and ready for our home game on 22 August against Wolves. We are thankful to Everton for allowing us to play at Goodison Park for the Carabao Cup game and now look forward to welcoming them to Deepdale on 26 August.
“The new Football League season will start for us tomorrow at Bolton, in front of a sell-out away end. Your support is always appreciated by everyone, and it helped get us over the line at Goodison Park on Saturday. The Championship is a tough league, with a huge gulf in financial resources caused by the parachute payments received by the clubs relegated from the Premier League. However, we believe that we are in good shape to be competitive this season.
“We would like to thank the fans who have again shown amazing support by already generating record revenue from the sale of season tickets. We recognise the cost-of-living challenges that are being faced by all and are pleased that the competitively priced offer has been taken up in such numbers. We have deliberately priced the tickets for the game against Everton at between £5 and £20 – we want fans to be able to attend the game in person and hopefully see a great night’s football and giant killing!
“We would like our fans, the beating heart of PNE, to continue to turn up in large numbers this season, making Deepdale a loud and exciting place to be. I would urge all fans to continue to be positive, both in person and on social media, to contribute to a momentum that we hope will continue to build and deliver success in the seasons ahead. With everyone working together and pulling in the same direction, I believe that we can achieve a lot and hopefully fulfil the ambitions that we all share.
“We will make all updates to keep fans informed, when able, on official club channels.
“We are making significant strides to take PNE forward, and work confidentially, professionally, and diligently to deliver successful outcomes.
“Despite the ongoing sale discussions, we are delighted that the Hemmings family have supported the wishes of the Board and Manager with record investment in these summer months. They remain committed to the club that they grew up supporting.
“Selling a football club is not an easy and quick process, and there can be no certainty that a sale will be concluded. However, in my current role and as a lifelong fan, I will continue to work with our owners, advisers, and the Board to secure the best outcome for our proud Football Club.”
With all that said, Preston still got beaten 2-1 at Bolton’s Toughsheet Stadium on Saturday as their Greater Manchester rivals clocked up three points in the hope of a Premier League return next year.
