Club captain Tom Clarke was the most high profile player to leave the club recently as his contract expired at the end of June. He had been at the club for over seven years and whilst he had lost pace in the past few seasons he still was in and around the starting eleven when fully fit.
Clarke leaves a wealth of experience behind. Paul Gallgher decided to extended his contract which expired over the summer so that he could see out the remainder of the season. It is unclear if he will sign a further one year deal but if he decides to leave then North End will miss a calm and wise head.
Fringe players including Simpson and Michael Crowe were also let go. None of the youngsters coming through the ranks were offered professional terms which may have well been financially motivated.
The next twelve months will be critical for Preston in terms of personnel. North End have typically made one significant player sale to cover losses which appear to be in the region of £10 million a year. Robinson and Hugill have left for big sums in the past couple of years to help cover annual losses.
There are several players out of contract next summer. North End may look to cash in but they will have to act quickly as it is likely that there will be a short turnaround before the start of next season.
Pearson and Davies may well become the talk of transfer gossip. Harrop who seems out of favour with Neil may seek to move on and there are others who North End will have to make a decision on.
There are some big decisions to be made over the next few months which will shape the way the team plays over the next few years. Whilst North End will not splash the cash if they lose several key players it could spell for a tricky next twelve months or so.