Ellington who is not wanted by Watford is seeking a new club after failing to impress with the Hornets. The frontman will be an asset should he rediscover his goalscoring form that helped Wigan climb to the top flight.
It is unclear if Brown will make a move for Ellington but it is clear that Preston need more bodies at the top end of the pitch with Preston starting with only one striker in the Cup game on Saturday - a game that Ellington watched from the sidelines.