Ryan Lowe issues contract update on Preston North End man

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe says the club have yet to make a decision on whether to hand Tom Barkhuizen a new contract, but has revealed one will be taken before the end of the season.

Barkhuizen joined Preston from Morecambe back in the 2017 January transfer window, and has since gone on to become an important figure at Deepdale.

The winger has 209 appearances in all competitions for North End, scoring 38 goals and providing 22 assists in that time.

However, the 28-year-old’s contract with Preston is set to expire at the end of this season, leading to questions around his future at the club.

But with Barkhuizen struggling for game time this season due to a combination of Covid and injury – having not made an appearance since January – it seems Lowe’s priority is getting Barkhuizen fit and playing again.

Discussing the situation around Barkhuizen’s contract, the Preston manager was quoted by Lancs Live as saying: “I believe he’s a fantastic talent but ultimately I’ve not seen much of him on the pitch or on the training pitch as we speak. He has been injured bless him and we’re trying to get him fit as quickly as we possibly can.

“The season is running out and his contract is running out but I think in football, sometimes players come, they go, they have to move on – it’s football unfortunately. Now in Tom’s situation, we’ve made no drastic decisions.

“First and foremost it is trying to get him fit and available for football; I think he played 20 minutes at Swansea for me and had to come off with a calf injury, so Tom is a fantastic lad – yeah he has been here a while and performed to the level expected of Tom.

“But ultimately, what I need from Tom is to get him on the pitch as quickly as we possible can. And the