Daniel Johnson to leave Preston after rejecting new deal
Preston midfielder Daniel Johnson will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.
The Jamaica international had been in discussions over a new deal with the Deepdale club but has now told them that he wants a new challenge.
He has made more than 300 appearances and scored 57 goals since arriving from Aston Villa in 2015.
📝 We can confirm both Daniel Johnson and Josh Onomah will be leaving the club at the end of their respective contracts.
We'd like to wish both players all the best for the future.#pnefc
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) June 27, 2023
Manager Ryan Lowe told the club’s website: “We’re disappointed but DJ wants a new challenge.
“I had a fantastic relationship with DJ and all the players did and I’m sure all the fans did too, but sometimes people want fresh challenges and that’s what DJ’s told us he wants to do, and we have to respect that decision.
“It’s disappointing because of what he’s done here over the years and we’d have liked to have had a better send off for him, if this was going to be the case.
“We’ve been in dialogue with him for a long time regarding him staying. We’ve done everything we possibly can to keep him, but we wish DJ all the best as he moves on to a new venture.”
The 30-year-old helped Preston win promotion from League One after arriving midway through the 2014-15 season and has been a feature of their midfield during eight years of mostly midtable finishes in the Championship.
He has been capped eight times by Jamaica since making his debut in 2020.