Burnley are targeting deadline day moves for Plymouth Argyle’s Morgan Whitaker and Millwall’s Zian Flemming, according to journalist Darren Witcoop.
New manager Scott Parker has experienced turbulence since taking over the hot seat at Burnley. There has been significant turnover, with a substantial number of both new additions and departures at Turf Moor. Whilst the likes of Micheal Obafemi, Michael Mellon, Zeki Amdouni, Darko Churlinov and Dara Costelloe have only temporarily moved away from the club on loan deals, there has also been a massive amount of players that have departed permanently from the recently relegated side. Among those who have left permanently are the likes of Charlie Taylor, Arijanet Muric, Sander Berge, Dara O’Shea and Wilson Odobert, five players who have stepped back up to the Premier League.
To try and combat this, 11 new players, enough players to field an entirely new starting line-up, have walked into the building, as the Clarets look to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Despite the setback Parker has faced in terms of turnover, Burnley have had a good start on the pitch, winning two of their opening three games so far.
Plymouth Argyle player Whitaker has been the subject of reported transfer interest in this summer window. Despite this, he has started all three of Plymouth’s opening Championship fixtures so far. Whitaker initially joined the Greens on loan from Swansea City, and instantly became a fan favourite at Home Park, scoring nine and assisting seven in just half a season. He was recalled by the Championship outfit in January but joined them permanently just six months later after Argyle’s promotion up to the second tier. He continued to impress last season, scoring 19 goals and assisting eight more in his first full season on the South Coast.
Flemming, on the other hand, is currently sidelined with a reported calf injury and has not been involved in any of Millwall’s opening Championship fixtures. Since joining the Lions from Dutch outfit Fortuna Sittard in 2022, the 26-year-old has scored 22 goals and assisted a further eight in just under 100 appearances in the Championship.
Both players’ impressive performances have caught the eye of Burnley, who look to further their chances at promotion back up to the Premier League. It is no secret that the Lancashire-based outfit have plenty of money to spend after the amount of player departures.
According to the post, with just over a day left in the window, Burnley have already lodged bids for both players, however, they have both been rejected by their respective clubs.
Writer’s View
A move for both players may be hard to achieve with the limited time left in the window. Time is not on Burnley’s side, and with the two other clubs knowing about the Clarets’ summer earnings, a deal for either player might prove costly. Alongside this, both Plymouth and Millwall do not want to lose their best players just hours before the deadline. Therefore, moving to do your business at this stage will be tricky.
It is clear to see the sheer amount of players that have departed Turf Moor this summer, and this has left Parker scrambling. He will not be the only manager scrambling, however, with a busy day of business ahead. The all-important questions will surround whether or not Argyle and Millwall will be willing to let either player go for the right amount of money, and whether or not Burnley cave in with the pressure of deadline day.
Be the first to comment