Preston North End are understood to be closing in on the appointment of Graham Alexander as their new manager, BBC Radio Leeds reports, with the 54-year-old having been given permission to hold talks by his current club Bradford City.

Bradford confirmed on Thursday, in what they described as a "reluctant" decision, that Alexander had been allowed to speak to the struggling Championship side. That phrasing does a fair amount of work: it signals that the League One leaders have not handed this over willingly, and that they consider the timing inconvenient.

The situation at Deepdale

North End are second bottom of the Championship table after a dismal start to the season, having lost six of their first seven league games. Paul Heckingbottom was sacked earlier this month, and the club has had Jason Euell in temporary charge since. The search for a permanent replacement has now, according to the report, narrowed sharply.

Preston host Millwall in their first fixture back after the international break, on Saturday 11 October, and it remains to be seen whether any appointment can be confirmed in time to have the new manager in the dugout for that match.

Alexander's background and the Deepdale connection

Alexander is no stranger to Deepdale. He made 372 league appearances across two spells as a player for North End, which means that, for a generation of Preston supporters, he is a genuinely familiar figure rather than a name pulled from a shortlist. Whether that history is an asset in the dressing room is a reasonable question, but it at least removes some of the usual awkwardness of a new manager learning what a club means to its town.

His managerial record has developed steadily, with stints at Fleetwood, Scunthorpe, Salford, Motherwell and MK Dons before he took over at Bradford in November 2023. He won promotion from League Two in his first full season at Valley Parade and has Bradford sitting at the top of League One at this early stage of the current campaign, with five wins from seven. According to the source, they finished fourth in League One in 2025-26, losing to Bolton Wanderers in the play-offs.

He is contracted to Bradford until the end of next season, so any move will involve some form of compensation discussion between the clubs.

What Preston actually need

The raw numbers at Preston tell a stark story. One point from seven games places them firmly in the relegation zone, and the margin for recovery is already tightening. The Championship is unforgiving in the early weeks: clubs that fall too far behind the pace before October rarely find enough runway to get back. North End will be aware of this.

Alexander brings a reputation for organising sides defensively and for getting results with limited budgets, which may appeal to a club that, like most in this division, has to balance ambition against financial reality. Whether he can translate his League One work into Championship survival is the genuine, open question here. Promotion from a lower division does not guarantee success a tier higher, and the source is careful to note this is still a developing situation rather than a confirmed deal.

If the appointment goes through, Alexander will inherit a group that has already been through a managerial change and an interim period within the first two months of the season. Stability, even more than tactical ingenuity, may be what Deepdale needs most urgently right now.

Frequently asked

Is Graham Alexander the new Preston manager?
As of the latest reports, Preston North End are closing in on appointing Alexander but no confirmation has been made. BBC Radio Leeds understands talks are progressing after Bradford City gave permission for the two parties to speak.
Why did Preston sack Paul Heckingbottom?
Heckingbottom was dismissed after Preston won just one of their first seven Championship games, leaving them second bottom of the table.
What is Graham Alexander's managerial record?
Alexander has managed Fleetwood, Scunthorpe, Salford, Motherwell, MK Dons and Bradford City. At Bradford he won promotion from League Two in his first full season and has led them to the top of League One in the current campaign.