Holmes fee too much for Swindon (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Holmes fee too much for Swindon

6:00am Thursday 31st May 2012 in Sport By Sam Morshead

SWINDON Town were interested in bringing Lee Holmes to the County Ground before the winger agreed to join Preston, but the Robins were unwilling to match the offer tabled by their League One rivals.

Holmes, who scored once in 11 appearances during his loan spell in Wiltshire last season, will officially become a North End player on July 1 following his release from Southampton this month.

The Advertiser has learnt that the salary Holmes will be commanding at Deepdale would have made him the highest earner in the Town squad, while he is also believed to be collecting a six-figure signing-on fee when he links up with Graham Westley’s free-spending side.

Swindon interim chairman Jeremy Wray confirmed he would have liked to have seen Holmes become a permanent fixture in the Robins squad, but said there are plenty of other irons in the fire as Town look to reinforce their playing staff over the summer.

He told the Advertiser: “We were keen to have him but Preston were prepared to offer him a package that we would not.

“We wish him well for the future and we will continue to look at other targets.”