2 assists, 4.75 interceptions per match: Should Preston North End keep hold of 28-year-old amid Belgian interest?

Tom Barkhuizen’s five-and-a-half year stint at Preston North End could be coming to an end this summer with his contract set to expire at Deepdale.

Talks were confirmed to be happening back in November for the winger to extend his stay at Deepdale by Peter Ridsdale, but five months have passed since and with no update, it appears that the 28-year-old could be running his deal down.

An interesting link emerged earlier in the month though, with Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise – who are owned by Brighton chairman Tony Bloom and currently lead the country’s top flight – being reported as interested in the PNE man.

Barkhuizen is one of North End’s long-serving players, having joined in January 2017 when the Lilywhites took advantage of Morecambe’s financial struggles to snap the forward up, paying compensation to the Shrimps in the process.

Little was expected of Barkhuizen when he arrived at PNE due to the fact he was stepping up two divisions, but just two months into his career at the club he’d won the Championship’s Player of the Month for March and has scored six times in 17 appearances by the end of his first half-season.

Goalscoring seasons of eight, six and nine in the Championship in his following three full campaigns showed that he was a goal threat – however in 2021-22 it has been a different story.

Barkhuizen has missed large portions of the season through injuries – two months between August and October, then three matches in December and January thanks to a tackle from Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, and then in January he hobbled off against Swansea City and hasn’t been seen since.

In the majority of his 14 appearances this season, Barkhuizen has played as a wing-back – a lot different to his more natural