'A heartbeat' - Manager confirms stance on Aston Villa transfer

Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe has spoken about his side's chances of landing Cameron Archer on loan from Aston Villa next season.

Archer is currently with North End having signed for Lowe's men in January until the end of the current campaign.

The Villa striker was sent out to get regular game-time in the Championship having begun the season well in the cup competitions.

Archer netted a hat-trick against Barrow AFC in the Carabao Cup and bagged against Chelsea in the next round.

The 20 year-old also scored six times in the EFL Trophy in games against senior competition.

He has already got five goals for play-off chasing Preston and two of those have been winners.

Gerrard will have a look at Archer in the summer with the player currently behind Ollie Watkins and Keinan Davis in the pecking order at Villa.

The former Solihull Moors loanee signed a new long-term contract recently but is not quite ready for the Premier League yet.

"Cam has only just come and Stevie will want to have a look at him in pre-season - they are their players," Lowe, who is a close friend of Gerrard, said.

"Ultimately, I would've thought that, because of the way they've been with us, if they were available again, we'd take them in a heartbeat.

"So would other clubs probably, but the advantage we would have is them having been here before and how we go about our business.

"If that becomes available, for them to go on loan, I'd like to think we'd be number one priority."

Archer made three Premier League appearances as a substitute late on in games earlier this season.

Other clubs were keen on signing the Walsall-born striker but Preston, 13th in the Championship, beat them to his signature.

North End are currently five points from the