Jack Cork has been the pulsating heart of midfield since arriving from Chelsea on a season-long loan. He is a class above the rest and all Clarets fans would be delighted if Burnley FC could take up an option to buy the player permanently and quickly before he slips through our fingers.
Many fans were both surprised and disappointed that a deal was not struck in the recent January window especially with news filtering through that Premier League club Blackpool were supposedly hoping to scupper our plans and convince Chelsea a move permanently to Bloomfield Road was in the England Under 21 international’s best interests. In the end nothing happened and Cork is still on our books.
Some Clarets fans, myself included felt we should have done the deal in the Summer and paid the asking price believed to be in the order of £2 million. His value is only going to increase as well as the competition to sign him the longer we leave it. Of course, we have no idea what is in the current loan contract and whether we have the first option to buy him or not and if so for what price if specified.
Media reports this week though at least confirm Jack Cork wants to move permanently to Burnley if only Chelsea could finally cut the apron strings. Cork seems to have his heart set on a career at Turf Moor after giving up on his dream of becoming a star at Stamford Bridge.
The 21 year old fresh from international duty this week following an England Under 21 friendly in Italy has made his intentions clear:
“I don`t want to be sat feeling like I`m not wanted. I was hoping to move on last summer or in January, so hopefully this summer will be the time.
“I want to go somewhere I feel part of a team and I`d be happy if it was Burnley as I don`t really like having to settle into new places.
“And I don`t want to go somewhere I wouldn`t be happy. Burnley feels a bit like home. I`ve liked it since I`ve come here.”
So will the Clarets splash out on the £2 million or so needed to turn his loan deal into a permanent switch in the summer? Will Carlo Ancelotti even allow him to go?
The Chelsea boss at the beginning of this season made it clear he was hoping to start integrating some of the Youth players into the first team but with Chelsea struggling recently by their own standards, it looks like that plan has been abandoned for the moment with Ancelotti sending most of the young players in his squad out on loan.
Cork has been at Stamford Bridge for five years but has yet to make his league debut for the Blues first-team.
He has spent a lot of his time on Chelsea’s books out on loan and indeed has now played for six different clubs so perhaps you can understand Cork’s predicament. It looks like Ancelotti is going to have to make a decision on Cork soon and hopefully accept a permanent move away could be in his best interests rather than let him continue to stagnate at Stamford Bridge.
Let’s hope Ancelotti, Howe and Cork can come to some agreement in the summer with a deal being struck once and for all.
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