Chris Kirchner comments on Preston North End’s finances amid takeover talk

After a failed attempt to purchase Derby County at the back end of 2021, Chris Kirchner is back on the scene in England and Preston North End appear to be one of the club’s in the EFL that he is looking at.

Along with Huddersfield Town who he has also been linked with, the American has eyed up the Lilywhites as a club he can potentially buy after administrators at Pride Park weren’t in a position in December to accept his offer.

Kirchner though has since visited North End’s Euxton training facilities, as well as attending the goalless draw with the Terriers earlier this month and he watched online from the United States as they defeated Peterborough United 1-0.

Following the untimely October passing of PNE owner Trevor Hemmings, the club has been left in the hands of his son Craig, who had been the chairman from 2019 onwards.

The club are seemingly for sale at the right price though, but the figures from the latest accounts for the 2020/21 season that were released on Wednesday morning do not make for pleasant reading.

For every £100 of income that North End made during that time, £216 were spent on player and staff wages which does not read well, however Kirchner has commented on the accounts and he does not appear to be fazed at what has come out and has praised former owner Hemmings for keeping PNE on a sound financial footing

Covid hurt the entire industry… Hemings handled it great by not taking on debt and keeping club sound moving forward. Good news is that is behind us.

— Chris Kirchner (@cskirchner) February 23, 2022

The Verdict

Instead of saddling the club with debt through loans, the share issues that Trevor Hemmings regularly inserted into the club means that despite the financial losses, PNE are sound