Preston North End are reportedly keen on Burnley’s Tom Heaton.
According to The Sun (09/12/2018, page 57), Preston North End have made a loan offer to Burnley for goalkeeper Tom Heaton, rivalling Aston Villa for his signature.
Heaton became one of the top Premier League goalkeepers in the 2016-17 season, earning England recognition off the back of his displays for the Clarets.
However, it’s all gone a bit downhill from there; a major shoulder injury in September 2017 saw him miss a huge chunk of playing time and lose his place for club and country to Nick Pope, and even when Pope got injured himself, Burnley signed Joe Hart, leaving Heaton to sit on the bench.
The 32-year-old will no doubt want to play first-team football somewhere, and The Express recently claimed that he was ‘likely’ to sign for Championship side Aston Villa in January.
Now, there could be a shock twist in the tale, as The Sun report that Preston have made a loan request to Burnley for Heaton, in the hope of swooping in and signing Heaton ahead of Villa.
It’s stated that Preston are ready to offload goalkeeper Chris Maxwell in January, but need somebody to come in and compete with Declan Rudd, and whilst Middlesbrough-owned Accrington loanee Connor Ripley is one target, Heaton is another.
Villa would surely still be favourites; they’re in a better position than Preston both on and off the pitch, and would certainly expect to see off the Lilywhites for Heaton’s signature if it came down to a straight fight.
However, Preston do have geography on their side, and for a short-term deal until the end of the season, staying in Lancashire may just be appealing to a goalkeeper whose future surely still rests in the Premier League.
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