Burnley midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has been tipped to leave the club at the end of the season following the expiration of his short term deal.
The 33-year-old returned to England in January after 16 months in Turkey with Çaykur Rizespor and Eyüpspor. His arrival at Burnley raised a few eyebrows, but he was brought in to add experience to Scott Parker’s squad for the second half of the campaign.
His time at Turf Moor has been hampered by injury though. The former England international has played just 11 minutes of Championship football, the last of which came against Sheffield Wednesday in February.
The Clarets are closing in on an instant return to the Premier League after suffering relegation last season. They host third-placed Sheffield United this evening knowing a win would confirm their promotion to the top tier.
Shelvey Tipped For Summer Exit
Shelvey was handed a short term deal by Scott Parker which is due to expire at the end of the season. However, he will be hoping his wealth of Premier League experience with Liverpool, Swansea City and Newcastle United will be enough to convince the manager to offer an extension.
That seems unlikely though, at least according to Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie. Speaking to Football League World, the ex-Aston Villa star said:
“I’m not sure that they will secure a deal for him.
“To be quite honest, I think that going into the Premier League, I think that the squad has to be a lot stronger.
“Jonjo obviously hasn’t featured too much, so I don’t think that will be one that they’ll be looking to make a permanent and keep him there again.
“With his contract expiring, I think he’ll move on.”
Writer’s View
Burnley have one foot in the Premier League and they will be desperate for a longer stay this time around. They were relegated from the top tier last May after just one season and they will need to make quality additions to keep up with the ever-growing gap of those already in the division. The fact that teams like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are among those closest to the bottom three speaks volumes about the gulf in class and there will be questions as to whether Shelvey is a player that can close that gap. The likelihood is he isn’t and he could well be on the lookout for a new club in the summer.
