Preston North End are reportedly circling Romain Esse, who has been left to train with Crystal Palace's under-21s as the Eagles try to move him out of the club before the end of the summer transfer window. The 21-year-old winger was signed by Palace in January 2025 from Millwall after bursting onto the scene as a teenager, with the deal setting them back an initial £12m, which could rise to £14.5m with add-ons. Despite making just 11 top-flight appearances for Palace, scoring a solitary goal, Esse was sent out on loan to Championship high-flyers Coventry City in January 2026, where he scored twice and laid on one assist in 17 league outings, as Frank Lampard's men won the second tier title. With Palace preparing for life under new boss Pierre Sage, it seems Esse doesn't have a place in the squad as it stands under the new head coach. The first report from transfer insider Alan Nixon revealed that Championship outfit Preston were keen on landing the wide player, as he would meet the requirements of Paul Heckingbottom's new system. Since then, further reports have suggested that Belgian side Club Brugge, who recently signed fellow Englishman Freddie Potts from West Ham, were keen on signing Esse, but the player is reportedly unsure about a move to Belgium. However, Nixon's latest development has revealed that Palace have left the young winger to train with the under-21s, as they look to secure a move for him as swiftly as possible. The London club is said to be keen on a permanent move from Esse, but many of his potential suitors, including Preston, are only looking to sign him on a temporary basis. Go back to December 2024 and Esse was one of the hottest young prospects in the entire EFL, as he was impressing for Millwall at just 19 years old. Now, he feels like somewhat of a forgotten man. A move to the Premier League with Crystal Palace seemed to be a match made in heaven when it came to the 19-year-old's career, but it has not worked out as planned. Despite his loan spell at Coventry City, Esse is still looking to find his place in the football world. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 14th in Championship, 60 pts, 15W-15D-16L from 46 games, recent form LWLLW. Goals this season: 55 scored, 62 conceded (-7 goal difference). Title race: 35 points behind leaders Coventry. Next fixture: vs Millwall (at home, 2026-10-10) (3rd in the table).