Preston North End appear set to make at least one outgoing transfer before the winter window closes, with midfielder Mads Frokjaer-Jensen likely to leave Deepdale. The club, under manager Paul Heckingbottom, has positioned itself as a contender for promotion from the Championship, having narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season.
However, Preston’s current form has been disappointing. Most recently, they were denied what could have been a crucial victory against Ipswich Town at Portman Road, conceding a late goal from a contentious Jack Clarke penalty to draw 1-1 with the Tractor Boys. This result extended a poor run, as the club had suffered four consecutive defeats across all competitions, causing them to fall out of the Championship’s top six and miss the play-off spots.
In response, Heckingbottom is looking to rejuvenate the squad. Preston are reportedly hoping to bring in Portsmouth forward Callum Lang and Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong, while Frokjaer-Jensen, who joined the club in 2023 from Odense for £1.2 million, appears likely to depart.
According to the Danish media outlet Bold, Superliga side Brøndby are close to reaching an agreement with Preston for the permanent transfer of the 26-year-old attacking midfielder. Brøndby, currently third in their domestic league, have reportedly made a firm move for Frokjaer-Jensen, although no deal has been officially finalized. Expectations are that both clubs will soon reach a compromise, allowing the Dane to return to his native Denmark in what has come as a somewhat unexpected development.
If the move goes through, Frokjaer-Jensen will join former Nottingham Forest and Swansea City manager Steve Cooper at Brøndby. Cooper, who was appointed in September, has had a relatively positive start with the Danish club. Frokjaer-Jensen would also link up with players such as former Coventry City defender Luis Banks and ex-Sheffield United defender Ben Godfrey, who recently joined Cooper from Atalanta after ending his loan at Sheffield United.
Frokjaer-Jensen’s time at Preston has been mixed. He represented Denmark at under-21 level in 2020 and joined Deepdale in the summer of 2023, following Preston’s renewed interest in the Scandinavian market, three years after signing Emil Riis from Randers. Arriving for a seven-figure fee, there was significant anticipation surrounding his debut season. The midfielder showed flashes of his speed and skill, particularly in his first season in Lancashire. During that campaign, he scored three goals and provided eight assists in 42 appearances, playing primarily as the club’s number ten.
Since then, however, Frokjaer-Jensen has struggled to make a consistent impact. In the current season, he has not featured regularly under Heckingbottom and made only a brief appearance against Ipswich, coming off the bench for the final nine minutes. Over his 107 appearances for Preston, he has scored eight goals, highlighting that he has not quite fulfilled the expectations placed upon him. Given his limited playing time and the club’s current needs, a permanent transfer away from Preston appears to be the most suitable outcome for both the player and the club.
