Preston North End’s five most expensive sales include England international and League of Ireland captain

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Preston North End have been incredibly busy in the transfer market as they look to give Paul Heckingbottom all the tools to ensure they have a better season compared to the 2024/25 campaign.

The Lancashire club have been a constant in the Championship since earning promotion back to the division in 2015; however, they just about confirmed their status in the second tier on the final day of last season.

Preston have seen several incomings and outgoings, with the most notable player leaving the club being star striker Emil Riis. The big striker bagged 12 goals in 2024/25 to help keep the Whites in the division.

The club will be disappointed they did not receive a transfer fee for the outgoing striker, as it would have helped them in their splurge this summer, especially if he could have brought in anywhere near the fees the most expensive departures from Deepdale have managed.

EFL Analysis brings you the five most expensive sales ever from Preston, according to Transfermarkt.

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5. Greg Cunningham – £3.5 million

Starting off our list is Ireland international Greg Cunningham, who served Preston well in three seasons at the club.

Cunningham was viewed as one of the best left-backs in the Championship during his time with Preston, earning him a move to Cardiff City in the summer of 2018, after the Welsh side earned promotion to the Premier League.

Cardiff spent £3.5 million for the Irishman; however, he would struggle at the club, making only 14 appearances across three seasons in Wales before returning to Preston in January 2021, first on loan and then permanently.

Cunningham remained at the club until he opted to move home to Ireland, signing for Galway United in the League of Ireland.

4. Jon Macken – £6.5 million

Another former Ireland international, Jon Macken, joined Preston in July 1997 after signing from Manchester United for a fee of £250,000.

Macken spent five years at Deepdale, and in that time he was prolific for the club, as he scored over 70 goals, while also winning the Player of the Year award twice, helping David Moyes and Preston win the Second Division title in 2000.

He would then leave the club to return to Manchester, but this time wearing the blue kit of the city, as Manchester City signed him for £6.5 million in February 2002.

Macken would never be as prolific as he was in his time with Preston as he moved his way around the England pyramid for the rest of his career.

3. Callum Robinson – £6.8 million

The final Ireland international to make this list is Callum Robinson, as he left Preston to join Sheffield United in July 2019 for a fee of £6.8 million.

Robinson had spent four seasons prior at Deepdale, one of which was on loan from Aston Villa, becoming one of the most exciting prospects in the Championship during this period.

He left Deepdale to join the Blades when they were in the Premier League, and while he did feature heavily in the first half of the season, he struggled to impress and so was sent on loan to West Brom.

Robinson is now currently playing his football in League One with Cardiff City.

• READ MORE: Cardiff City’s hopes of keeping Callum Robinson revealed, with one huge caveat still to come

2. David Nugent – £7.8 million

The final player on this list to have made an international appearance is David Nugent, who won one cap for England and scored in that match against Andorra.

During his time with Preston, David Nugent had become one of the most feared strikers in the Championship, and due to this, the free-spending Portsmouth at the time opted to purchase him.

Portsmouth splashed out £7.8 million on Nugent in a move that did not really work out for either party, well, except Preston.

In his first spell with the club, he scored 37 goals in 107 appearances at the Lancashire club.

1. Jordan Hugill – £8.8 million

The most expensive sale Preston have ever made is Jordan Hugill, when they sold him to West Ham for £8.8 million in January 2018.

This move did not work out for Hugill, who only made three appearances for West Ham in his two and a half seasons contracted to the club.

While Hugill was impressing at Preston during his time at Deepdale, he was not viewed as one of the most prolific strikers in the Championship, as he scored 30 goals across 114 appearances.

Hugill is still playing, with the striker now aged 33, with the Middlesbrough-born individual contracted to Rotherham United at present.