Clarets have five deals on the go

Clarets boss Sean Dyche has five plates spinning as he looks to add to his squad, with just under a fortnight before the transfer window closes.
Chris Wood controls a high ball.
Leeds United v Fulham FC.  SkyBet Championship.  Elland Road.  
15 August 2017.  Picture Bruce RollinsonChris Wood controls a high ball.
Leeds United v Fulham FC.  SkyBet Championship.  Elland Road.  
15 August 2017.  Picture Bruce Rollinson
Chris Wood controls a high ball. Leeds United v Fulham FC. SkyBet Championship. Elland Road. 15 August 2017. Picture Bruce Rollinson

Dyche remains in the hunt for a striker, with the club having had eight-figure bids turned down for two forwards over the week.

The club have seen two offers for number one target, Leeds United frontman Chris Wood, turned down, with the second not reaching the £20m widely reported.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And they have also had an offer worth £11.8m, or €13m, for Deportivo La Coruna’s Romanian international forward Florin Andone rejected.

In a busy week, the Clarets also had a second offer, worth £10m, for Hull City midfielder Sam Clucas – double their initial offer – knocked back, with the Tigers believed to want double again for the former Chesterfield man.

Wood is top of Dyche’s list as he tries to bolster a striking pool which includes Sam Vokes, Ashley Barnes, Jon Walters and young prospect Dan Agyei, and reports from Yorkshire suggest the New Zealand captain is keen to move across the Pennines for Premier League football, and is concerned Leeds are pricing him out of a move.

He could more than double his wage by joining the Clarets.

Burnley moved for a different type of forward in Andone on Tuesday, receiving news of the rejection of their offer the following day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Deportivo have a release clause of €25-30m, owing 30% to former club Córdoba, and are keen to add another striker first themselves, as well as a replacement for the 24-year-old, and are concerned, in the current market, they could find that difficult.

Deportivo are keen on a return for Arsenal forward Lucas Perez, who left the Riazor last summer.

Dyche said yesterday morning: “There is nothing imminent, but there are five different things we are on with.

“That doesn’t necessarily guarantee we will get all five, but we will see what haopens and how things move forward.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I understand Lille striker Nicolas de Preville is not on the list, despite speculation linking the Clarets with a £12m move for the 26-year-old, who scored 14 goals in 30 games last season after moving from Belgian club KV Ostend.

There has also been no offer for Napoli’s Colombia international Duvan Zapata, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Udinese.

Meanwhile, Dyche would back moves to close the transfer window before the start of the next Premier League season, with plans already at “approval level” for next year.

Several managers are unhappy at starting the season before the window closes, with all the uncertainty that brings, and Dyche said: “The idea of selling someone, or bringing someone in, who has worked in pre-season with another club is bizarre.

“Players know gameplans, set pieces and so on.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Managers have enough on their plate, trying to bond a team and get it organised, without the threat of losing players into a season.

“Teams coming up in the play-offs would have a shorter period, but it’s hard to suit everyone.”