Preston North End ‘close in’ on Sunderland target as West Ham ‘scout’ Blackburn Rovers star

The Championship season starts in just four days' time as transfer dealings continue to heat up.
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Here, we round-up all the latest transfer news that has emerged today from the Stadium of Light and beyond:

Parrott reports

Sunderland look set to miss out on Troy Parrott as Preston North End reportedly ‘agree a deal’ for the 20 year-old.

Preston North End are set to sign Sunderland target Troy Parrott  (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)Preston North End are set to sign Sunderland target Troy Parrott  (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)
Preston North End are set to sign Sunderland target Troy Parrott (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)
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Parrott has been training with parent club Tottenham Hotspur during pre-season but looks set to leave the club on-loan once again with Deepdale seemingly his destination.

Deepdale Digest report that “sources close to both clubs” indicate that a deal between Spurs and Preston has been agreed for the striker.

Parrott spent last season on-loan in League One with MK Dons where he netted ten times for Liam Manning’s side.

He looks destined for a step-up in divisions this season but Parrott does have previous experience in the Championship, coming in 2020/21 where he featured 11 times in the second division for Millwall.

Hornets ‘close in’ on defender

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Watford are reportedly ‘closing in’ on the signing of defender Mario Gaspar, according to The Athletic.

Gaspar currently plays for La Liga side Villarreal, a team he has featured for since 2011 after making the step-up from their B side.

The defender’s current deal in Spain doesn’t expire until next summer, however, it is understood that Gaspar will terminate his current deal early in order to move to Vicarage Road.

As part of the deal, Kiko Femenia will head the other way with Watford receiving a reported €1million in return.

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Gaspar has made over 400 appearances during his time at Villarreal but featured just 18 times in all-competitions for the Yellow Submarine last season.

Hammers ‘scout’ Rovers star

According to the Sun, West Ham sent scouts to watch Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz when they faced Lincoln City in a pre-season friendly.

Brereton Diaz had a fantastic season in-front of goal last year, netting 22 goals in just 37 league appearances, as Rovers narrowly missed out on a playoff place.

Whilst no formal bid has been made for the Chilean, interest from the Hammers and Leeds United could prove to be difficult for Blackburn to repel should either side firm up their interest.