Matty Writes Sports

After only one season away, Burnley find themselves back in the Premier League, with Scott Parker’s men bouncing back at the first opportunity. Vincent Kompany’s side faced relegation from the Premier League in 2023/24 an with much uncertainty over the future of the club, Scott Parker took over and, led by the league’s best defence, took the Clarets back to the top tier.

Now, Parker is tasked with keeping them there. It was their defence that got them to the Premier League and now, that same defence will be trusted to keep them there for the foreseeable future. Will they be able to do so, or will Burnley’s Premier League dream end in a nightmarish relegation?

Transfers

So far, Burnley have been active in the transfer window, making moves to try and bolster their squad as they aim to survive in the Premier League. Their most expensive arrival so far has been for French u21 international Loum Tchaouna from Lazio. The young winger made 24 appearances for Lazio in the Serie A last season, bagging only one goal, but his potential is huge for the future. He starred in all four games of France’s U21 Euros campaign, and now he makes the move to England, and to Lancashire. Burnley lacked a certain explosiveness in wide areas for much of the Championship campaign, and Tchaouna brings explosiveness in abundance, a much needed characteristic if Burnley are to stay up.

Additionally, the loans of Marcus Edwards, Bashir Humphreys, Zian Flemming and Jaidon Anthony have been made permanent upon the club’s promotion to the Premier League. Edwards and Anthony were crucial to Burnley’s promotion from the second division, with the January arrival of Edwards on loan from Sporting CP providing a much needed spark to a Burnley frontline that had struggled for goals in the early stage of the season.

In addition, several new players have been brought in to bolster an already impressive defensive line. Quilindschy Hartman makes the move from Feyenoord in his native Netherlands, whilst veteran Premier League fullback Kyle Walker moves across from Manchester City where he had played since 2017. Hartman is an energetic left sided wing back, known for his strong work ethic at getting up and down the flanks, whilst Walker has always been a very strong defensive fullback, using his elite pace to stop attackers in their tracks. Whilst that pace has faded somewhat over the last few seasons, Walker still brings a much needed veteran presence to a youthful Burnley side, and his experience will prove invaluable to the team.

Additionally, Axel Tuanzebe moves in from recently relegated Ipswich Town, and Armando Broja also jumps shop from Chelsea. Tuanzebe was a useful player for Ipswich in their unsuccessful survival chase, but will provide useful cover to a Burnley side that has lost some of its depth, whilst Armando Broja looks to bring some goals into the side.

However, despite all of their best efforts, the main story of Burnley’s transfer window has been the players that they have let go. Of their impenetrable defence last season, 2 mainstays of that backline have already left the club. CJ Egan-Riley was a revelation at centre back for the Clarets, playing alongside French international Maxime Esteve, but the Irishman has left for pastures new, heading across the Channel to play for Olympique Marseille. Burnley haven’t received a transfer fee for the defender, who they initially bought from Manchester City. However, maybe an even bigger loss will be the departure of goalkeeper James Trafford, who’s buyback clause was activated by the Cityzens. Trafford was an alien between the sticks for the Clarets, going almost three months without conceding a goal, and only conceding 16 all season. He will be an extremely difficult man for the Clarets to replace and with only 2 weeks to go until the season, Burnley will have to act quickly if they are to replace the young goalkeeper.

Burnley have also lost top goalscorer Josh Brownhill on a free, however there have been rumours that the Englishman is looking to resign at Turf Moor. Brownhill scored 18 goals in the second tier last season, and he will be sroely missed if he does decide to move on from the club, however, Scott Parker is hopeful that he will resign.

Squad Focus

Burnley have lost several of their key players from last season in the transfer window, and it looks like they will have a lot to do if they are to survive the drop this time around.

Between the sticks, with the exit of James Trafford, Burnley’s number 1 as it stands looks to be 21 year old German goalkeeper Max Weiss, who played all 34 games in FC Karlsruhe’s 2. Bundesliga campaign last season. Weiss is only 21 years old, and it may be a very large jump to the starting eleven if Weiss is to start for the Clarets this season. He is only 21 years of age and has only played 38 game of league football, all in the second German division. However as it stands, Weiss is the man best equipped to make the step up and fill the boots of James Trafford.

In defence, Burnley appear to be at their strongest. Retaining Maxime Esteve will be a huge boost for the Clarets, as the Frenchman was an exceptional player for them in the Championship, but it remains to be seen who would be starting alongside the Frenchman. That job was filled by CJ Egan Riley in the Championship, but the Englishman has departed for the French Riviera, joining Marseille on a free transfer, and now Burnley need a new partner for Esteve. In their current squad, Axel Tuanzebe was a rotational piece for Ipswich in the 2024/25 campaign and would be seen as unlikely to be starting quality, Joe Worrall is a solid Championship defender but may not be at the level of the Premier League, whereas Hannes Delcroix was solid on loan at Swansea City, but was poor last time the Clarets were in the top division. Scott Parker may have to look towards the transfer market to find Esteve’s defensive partner.

It seems two new signings will be starting for Burnley this season at full back. Dutch international Quillindschy Hartman and former Manchester City captain Kyle Walker will don the claret and blue for the first time, and will be expected to contribute immediately. On the other hand, mainstays such as Conor Roberts will have to compete with these new signings, whilst fringe players Oliver Sonne and Shurady Sambo may look to make an impression in pre-season.

In midfield, Burnley seem low on numbers; Josh Laurent, Aaron Ramsey (not that one), Josh Cullen and Hannibal Mejbri are the only recognised central midfielders currently at the club, whilst Lesley Ugochukwu is rumoured to ne joining from Chelsea. Ugochukwu will provide a huge boost in the midfield for the Clarets, especially as Josh Cullen is the only player with significant Premier League minutes under his belt of this group. Burnley may look to the market for another signing.

Out wide, Burnley have a lot of players, some of whom are likely to be shifted towards the end of the window. Marcus Edwards was a real spark plug for the Clarets in the Championship, looking to keep his place in the side for the new season, whereas Jaidon Anthony will look to do the same. Other wingers include Belgian Mike Tresor, Italian Luca Koleosho, Swissman Zeki Amdouni, new signings Loum Tchaouna and Jakob Bruun Larsen, as well as Manuel Benson. Edwards and Anthony are likely to be the starters as it stands, with young guns Koleosho and Tchaouna expected to compete for significant minutes, as well as Tresor if he can stay injury free, which he has not been able to do in his spell in Lancashire so far.

Up front, Armando Broja seems to be the main man so far, however will have strong competition from Zian Flemming behind him, however, this still seems like a position in which Burnley need significant improvements. Broja is young and still has potential to grow but has not shown significant flashes since his 2021/22 loan spell at Southampton, whilst Flemming has never kicked a Premier League football before.

Josh Sargent

A striker is truly needed at Burnley if they are to stay up in the Premier League, and Josh Sargent could be the answer to their problems. The American has played for Norwich since 2021, but, after a strong campaign in the Championship in which he bagged 15 goals in 32 games, he has been linked with a move away from East Anglia, and Burnley could end up being his new home. Sargent has played in the Premier League with Nrwich in the 2021-22 season, however was a very raw prospect and did not see much time on the pitch. Now, 4 years older and more professional, Sargent could be the man to fire Burnley to Premier League Survival.

Tolu Arokodare

Another name that could be on the move to Turf Moor is KRC Genk forward Tolu Arokodare, who ripped up the Belgian Pro League’s scoring charts as the club finished 3rd in the table. The Nigerian bagged an excellent 21 goals in 40 games and could be an excellent fit for the Premier League. Arokodare is a physical specimen, standing at 6ft5, and uses his body excellently. He is strong in the air, quick and has excellent finishing ability, which all make him an ideal fit for the Premier League, and potentially, just what Burnley need if they are to remain in the division for another year.

Stefan Ortega

The next name to be linked with Burnley is Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. The German appears to be surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium, after the Cityzens decided to bring James Trafford back to the club. Ortega has been an excellent keeper when needed for City, but with Ederson and now Trafford seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order, Ortega may wish to leave for game time in order to make it to the 2026 World Cup, where the goalkeeper spot could truly be up for grabs for the Germans. Therefore a move could make sense for both parties; Ortega gets to prove himself for the World Cup, and Burnley get a quality keeper to help them stay in the division.

Rav Van Den Berg

Another player who could be brought in to bolster Burnley’s backline is Middlesbrough defender Rav Van Den Berg. The younger brother of Brentford defender Sepp, Van Den Berg was very solid for Middlesbrough last season, abd at only 21 years of age, still has plenty of promise for the future. Van den Berg is very strong in the air, composed on the ball and a strong defender, also showing off these qualities at the u21 Euros, as he started in every game for the Netherlands. If Burnley want a suitable replacement for the starting CJ Egan Riley, Van Den Berg could be a very underrated option for the Clarets.

Andy Diouf

Another option for Burnley could be Andy Diouf, the combative midfielder who turns out for RC Lens in Ligue 1. Diouf is a tough tackling midfielder, with a strong physical presence, able to contribute effectively in both attack and defence. He could be a perfect box to box option for the Clarets, who may need to replace Josh Brownhill if he elects not to stay at the club. Diouf played all 34 games for Les Sang et Or last season, as well as turning out for France at the u22 Euros, Diouf would be a smart signing for the Clarets.

Key Player: Maxime Esteve

France has long been a conveyor belt for excellent central defensive talent, and Burnley may just have their hands on the next, in Maxime Esteve. The Frenchman has recently signed a new contract at Turf Moor, news that will certainly delight Burnley fans across the country, especially as Esteve was linked with a move to both Tottenham and Bayern Munich earlier in the window.

Esteve is an excellent, well-rounded central defender, confident with both the ball at his feet and dispossessing attackers. Esteve is a left sided defender, capable of using both feet to bring the ball out of defence and find an open man. His passing range is excellent, able to pick out a teammate far up the pitch with one elegant kick of the football. He averaged 61 passes per game in the Championship last season, indicating a confidence on the ball not seen in many lower league defenders, a trait that Burnley may need to break down Premier League defensive lines. Additionally, Esteve is strong in the tackle and a very smart reader of the game, averaging over an interception per game in the Championship last season.

Burnley may find themselves under the cosh for long periods this season, but with Maxime Esteve in the side, their chances of conceding fall drmatically.

Potential Lineup and Outlook

Burnley look to be the weakest of the teams coming up this season, primarily due to players they have lost, but that doesn’t mean that they are out for the count. Scott Parker knows the Premier League and has managed in the division before; his tactical setup is very solid defensively, a style of play that usually has the highest rate of success in staying up. For example, in recent years, Luon played defensive football, sitting back and waiting to hit their opponents on the break, and got pretty close to surviving. Or, the season prior where Bournemouth stayed up under Gary O’Neill. It has been done before and could certainly happen again.

Parker has the defensive foundations that Burnley need to be able to survive. As without them, they may not have the firepower needed to stay up.

My Prediction: 20th

For Burnley to survive, far more has to be done in the transfer market. As it stands, goals look like they may be hard to come by, and losing elements of their record breaking defence means shutouts like last season will be far rarer. They just don’t have enough to stay in the division as of right now.