Burnley have set in motion an overhaul of their squad this summer, with Scott Parker wanting the most committed group to try and return to the Premier League.
Another controversial departure could be on the horizon, with the Lancashire club now set to welcome bids from several top-flight clubs for captain Josh Brownhill. The supposed fee that would appease the Clarets, is said to be around £9 million.
The uncertain future of the midfielder has been accompanied by the reported potential exits of James Trafford and Lucas Koleosho, but also by the plethora of already confirmed Burnley outgoings.
In a bid to combat any financial pressure or sanctions in the future, Parker’s side have given the green light to deals for Sander Berge, Dara O’Shea, Wilson Odobert, Anass Zaroury, and Johan Gudmundson all in the space of a fortnight. Of course, the positive to this is that Burnley have gathered around £90 million for these first team players, but the negativity – in some fans’ opinions – surrounding the cohesion of the remaining group is still present.
Furthermore, after being left out of the squad against Sunderland, in Burnley’s 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light, Manuel Benson and Wout Weghorst could be two more names that are banished from the Championship side before the window slams shut on Friday.
According to an exclusive report by HITC, Leicester City, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, and Brentford are all monitoring the 28-year-old’s summer situation. With only a year remaining on Brownhill’s Burnley contract, the Clarets may be pressured into a move in order to avoid a departure next year with no fee attached.
Turkish Süper Lig side, Trabzonspor, have already seen their £4 million bid for the former Preston North End player turned down. This region is clearly not good enough to tempt Parker’s side into selling, so a reasonably higher price will be demanded.
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Brownhill has been with the Lancashire side since his move from Bristol City in January 2020, and has since featured 170 times, in Burnley’s Premier League and Championship campaigns. The English midfielder started his career at Preston, where he notched six goals in 64 appearances. A sixth-month loan spell at Barnsley in 2016 is Brownhill’s only other experience at an EFL club.
When speaking to the Burnley Express, Parker had a firm standpoint on his transfer decisions and the opportunity to remove poor attitudes among the dressing room.
“It’s a big week for us. Everyone at the football club is working tirelessly in both aspects to try and bring some players in, and no doubt players will be leaving.
“I’ve said it from the outset, players that don’t want to be at the football club and don’t want to be around it, it’s clear that’s not what we’re going to try and develop here.
“I’m want people here who ultimately want to be part of this journey. There’s a couple of little bumps along the way.
“Hopefully we can bring some players in this week. The owners and the guys herein the recruitment team are doing everything in their power to try and get players in. No doubt certain players will be leaving.”
Writer’s View
It looks like the summer clear-out is far from over when names such as Brownhill, Weghorst, and Koleosho are thrown about as potential outgoings. At 28, Brownhill is still the club captain and continue to showcase all the qualities that compliment such a responsibility.
Getting rid of such an important player, both competitively and for squad morale, would potentially be a big mistake. Too many departures at once, without permanent, solid solutions to replace them, could lead to disappointing underachievement in the short term. Parker is expecting an immediate bounce-back up to the Premier League, but this strategy could end up backfiring immensely.
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