Spurs have extended Preston North End’s deadline to trigger a £6m option for Alfie Devine after the July 1 deadline passed. The move keeps Preston’s permanent bid alive for now, but it does not clear the wider market around the 21-year-old midfielder.
Personal terms were agreed in February, and Preston still want to make the loan move permanent. Peter Ridsdale said the goalposts have moved further beyond the initial agreement, a line that captures how the deal has shifted since the first talks.
Alfie Devine and Preston North End
Devine scored eight goals and added six assists for Preston North End last season, which is why the club still hope to build around him. Preston want him to become the central figure in a new era at Deepdale, and a permanent deal would push them into territory that would stretch both their transfer record and wage structure.
The extension matters because it keeps the option open after the original deadline slipped by on July 1. The fee is £6m, more than £2m above the original loan option, so the revised terms have raised the bar even as Preston try to keep the move on track.
Celtic and Wolves interest
Outside interest has not gone away. Reports said Celtic are set to step up their interest in Devine, while Wolves remain interested, leaving Preston in a race against competing options rather than a straightforward purchase.
That leaves Preston with a narrow opening and Devine with choices that now stretch beyond Lancashire. His representatives are still in talks, and the extension gives Preston extra room to push their case, but it also leaves the door open for Celtic and Wolves to press their own claims.
Preston North End and Alfie Devine
For Preston, the next step is simple: keep talking and try to turn the extended deadline into a deal before another club moves ahead. For Devine, the decision now sits between a permanent stay at Preston and the pull of other options that remain in play after July 1.
