Preston North End have made Morecambe’s Tom Barkhuizen their top target for the January transfer window according to a report from HITC Sport.
The Lilywhites have had a solid start to the season as they currently sit 11th in the Sky Bet Championship but their head coach Simon Grayson is looking to add to his squad in the January transfer window so that his squad has the depth to sustain a bid to get into the play-off places.
And one man Grayson has been impressed enough to make his top target going into January is Barkhuizen, a forward who currently plays for Morecambe. The 23-year-old forward, who can play on the wing and up front, signed for the Shrimps in the summer of 2015 from Blackpool after a successful loan spell and has been a revelation for them ever since. He scored twelve goals last season and is on his way to beating that tally this year as he has already netted five times.
And it is this form that has made Grayson want to sign him up in January. While it is unknown how much Barkhuizen would cost, his contract is set to expire at the end of the season meaning that Morecambe would be forced to sell up if they want any control of the fee they would get. Due to his age, they would be entitled to a tribunal fee should Preston simply sign him at the end of his contract.
Preston will face some competition for Barkhuizen’s signature though as it has also been reported that a few unnamed Championship clubs have been scouting the forward over a potential move.
