The genius free agent transfer deal Burnley should sign this month with opportunity too good to miss
Burnley could look to the free agent market for a game-changing signing
We may only have reached the beginning of September, but this Premier League season is already beginning to look like one which will see increased competition at the bottom of the table.
The last two sets of newly-promoted clubs have suffered relegation with barely a whimper, but there is a growing belief amongst fans and neutrals alike that this season may be different. All of Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland have already picked up their first wins of the season - the latter with two victories - and the likes of Wolves and West Ham United are already beginning to feel apprehensive about the season ahead.
In the case of Burnley, Scott Parker’s side have spent a substantial amount of money over the summer but may feel they still have remaining gaps in their squad. James Trafford and CJ Egan-Riley departed over the summer in bitter blows to the Clarets’ strong defensive unit, while the biggest loss of all may have been top scorer Josh Brownhill - though an ideal replacement could be available on the free agent market, with the transfer window closed for the year.
Burnley should go all out to secure Christian Eriksen
Denmark legend Christian Eriksen remains without a club over two months after departing Manchester United, leaving Burnley with the perfect market opportunity to secure a seasoned Premier League creator who could offer a new dimension to the Clarets side.
Burnley were linked with free agent Eriksen back in August as per The Mirror, but rumours about a move for the former Tottenham Hotspur star cooled amidst reports that he has been training with Malmo in Sweden while he searches for a new club.
The 33-year-old reportedly rejected the chance to join Championship big-spenders Wrexham earlier in the summer, while links to the likes of Bayer Leverkusen have also surfaced. However, links with Leeds may have proven to be wide of the mark. If the Dane hopes to remain in the Premier League and play a key role for his next club in a World Cup year, Turf Moor could be the right choice.
Burnley move for Eriksen would be ambitious but not unrealistic
To go from Man United to Burnley appears a large step down. But that is not giving credit to some of the major coups promoted sides secured over the summer months already.
The Clarets themselves signed veteran Kyle Walker from Manchester City for £5 million, while Sunderland upset the odds even more by signing Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka, in a £17m deal which Bundesliga giants Leverkusen only reluctantly sanctioned for one of their key players.
What’s more, Burnley new signing Walker is a former Spurs team-mate of Eriksen’s during their exciting period under Mauricio Pochettino, while Scott Parker may also call upon his own Tottenham links to persuade Eriksen of the move - though the pair missed out on being team-mates at White Hart Lane by a matter of days in 2013.
Eriksen may not replace the 18 goals Brownhill scored last season and no longer has the dynamism he used to in the middle of the park. But he could play a significant role, both in helping Burnley control games and in creating chances for the club’s forwards. Alongside inexperienced young players such as Hannibal and Lesley Ugochukwu, Eriksen’s know-how could also prove vital in the Clarets’ attempts at survival.
It may not be an easy move to pull off. But if Parker and Burnley can offer Eriksen a key role within the starting XI alongside a handsome wage and a nominal release clause should the club be relegated, this move could yet be attainable for the Lancashire outfit.