Paul Heckingbottom eyes £2.5m move for son of Chelsea icon as Preston North End seek striker

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Preston North End have not been predicted for a bright 2025/26 Championship campaign, but a 1-1 draw away to QPR to start the season should be seen as a positive.

The Lilywhites were not at their best in the first-half, allowing the hosts to take advantage and force Paul Heckingbottom’s side to hand the West London outfit the lead just before the break through a Ben Whiteman own goal.

However, the visitors grew in confidence in the second 45, and Milutin Osmajic levelled the game with a stunning chip as Preston countered clinically from a QPR corner.

Heckingbottom is not resting on his laurels, and with time still left in the transfer window, he is seeking out a deal for a striker whose father is very well known to those at Chelsea and Bolton Wanderers, just after missing out on Celtic’s Johnny Kenny.

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Preston North End seek deal for Andri Guðjohnsen

Andri Guðjohnsen currently plays his football for Belgian side Gent, but the London-born Iceland international could be on his way out before the end of this summer with Preston interested, as per Alan Nixon.

He said: “Preston are looking at a deal for Icelandic striker Andri Guðjohnsen – son of legend Eidur Guðjohnsen. North End are desperate for more firepower within their budget and are keen to land the Icelandic international.

“Guðjohnsen is struggling to make the starting line up at Belgian side Gent and would love a move to England. Gent have had interest in Turkey, but the player is keen on the switch. The fee is currently at around £2.5m.

“Preston are having to go on previous performances to judge him. He scored for his country against Scotland recently. Guðjohnsen is one of three footballing brothers who are sons of the former Bolton and Chelsea forward.”

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Andri Guðjohnsen started out on the books of Real Madrid

While it has not exactly been the start to his career that Guðjohnsen would have hoped for, in his time in academy football, he was incredibly highly rated.

He left Espanyol for Real Madrid in 2018, joining Los Blancos’ U17s set-up. He progressed through the different phases, and eventually joined Real Madrid Castilla in 2021 – the Spanish giants’ B team.

However, he played just 21 games and scored four goals before he left for Sweden, joining Norrköping. Since then he has played for Danish club Lyngby, departing to join Gent last summer.

He has struggled for minutes in Belgium, and a move to the Championship with Preston could be the perfect way for Guðjohnsen to get his career back on track.