The Daily Mail is reporting that Preston North End are closing in on the permanent signing of Manchester United midfielder Ben Pearson. It is believed that a £100,000 fee has been agreed to bring the England Under-20 international to Deepdale.
The 21-year-old central midfielder has failed to make a single senior appearance for the Premier League giants in their first-team. However he has impressed during his time on loan with League One side Barnsley. The transfer is expected to be concluded in the coming days.
The Oldham-born youngster has enjoyed two separate loan spells at Oakwell but now the time has come for him to make his living as a permanent player in a first-team setup. He clearly has plenty of potential and quality, purely based on the fact he has represented England through from Under-16s to Under-20s.
Barnsley boss Lee Johnson was hugely disappointed to see Pearson leave last week following the end of his loan spell, indicating how much of a key player he had become. Although he failed to make the grade at Old Trafford, he joins a club that gives young players an opportunity to impress. The deal also represents something of a coup, as £100,000 is certainly excellent business on Simon Grayson’s behalf.
There is also the chance that Pearson could have another familiar face lining up with his at Preston in the coming weeks. Grayson is an admirer of Nick Powell, who has also struggled for first-team football at Old Trafford. He faces competition from a whole host of Championship clubs, but there hat is very much firmly in the ring.
