Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe has downplayed recent talk of a possible loan to Manchester United star Zidane Iqbal.
After recent reports that Iqbal was looking for a loan, there were rumors that Preston was one of the leaders due to the fact that Iqbal spent last season at the Lancashire club for work experience.
At the initiative of Justin Cochrane, who now heads the player development team and coaches at the United Academy, Brentford allowed the young players of the United Academy to spend a week or two training at football league clubs to experience the rigors of senior minor league football.
One of them was that Iqbal spent a week with Preston last season, along with another unnamed United player, where they impressed manager Lowe, who told the Lancashire Post: “They joined us last year for a week and they were excellent, a couple of them.”
The Preston manager continued: “But we are not interested in taking Zidane on loan, unless they tell me it’s not like at Manchester United and they say he wants to move, then it could be another conversation. They didn’t tell me that.”
Interestingly, rather than disputing the interest in the midfielder, Lowe suggests that any lack of movement is due to United making Iqbal unavailable, rather than Preston’s decision not to take the 19-year-old.
In fact, Lowe didn’t rule it out entirely, saying, “He definitely wasn’t on our radar in terms of us not needing this position, but who knows, right? He’s a quality player.”
Lowe, a graduate of Liverpool’s academy during his playing career, also hinted that a move might be more likely next season, saying: “Maybe the championship is too early for him, maybe it’s the championship next season, but I just don’t know. .
“As for me, I didn’t know that they talked about him with us, and I didn’t know that he was available for rent.”
“I would like to think that we know about most of the kids and good players across the country who are available on loan.”
Among the current loaned players at Preston is Alvaro Fernandez from United. The best U-21 player last season, Fernandes had a good time under Lowe’s guidance, having already played 23 matches and given four assists.
Despite appearing regularly on the bench, Iqbal has yet to make an appearance under Erik ten Hag, and Cobby Mainu appears to have overtaken him in the pecking order to earn a debut against Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup.
As a result, Iqbal’s availability may change in the next two weeks, and he may go on loan rather than spend the rest of the season in the under-21 youth team.
