Burnley are being more strongly linked this week with a move for Brentford defender James Tarkowski and there are some wibblings about a departure of Andre Gray.
Links to Tarkowski surfaced mainly owing to doubts over the future of Michael Keane given his performances for us attracting the attention of a few clubs higher up the food chain, but with nothing seemingly happening on that score, it’s being said we are chasing up our interest for the 23 year old nontheless.
With press reports saying a £2.3million bid was rejected the other week, it’s now being speculated that the defender is keen on a move to Burnley and that may swing things in our favour with Brentford wanting closer to £5million.
Whilst manager Sean Dyche wouldn’t be drawn individually on Tarkowski, he is quoted as saying generally about transfers this month.
‘Clubs play hardball with everyone, it’s a seller’s market and we don’t want to sell. If you have predators around you, it’s different, the selling club are powerful. The ownership has changed, owners are so wealthy, they say ‘no’, end of story, Three or four years ago in the Championship, people had to sell – we did ourselves, Charlie Austin two days before the start of the season, great fun as a manager. But we had to to safeguard the club. That now doesn’t seem to be happening, people aren’t bothered about debt. It`s a strange situation, FFP, it’s interesting. We’re in a very tough league, we’re not market leaders, which is unusual for a team coming out of the Premier League. You look at the money Hull have got, Middlesbrough have got. We’ve spent and want to spend more, but there is a ceiling. We can’t just keep going and going. We have to, as a club, it has to be managed on and off the pitch and there has to be a balance, but I make it clear, we still want to challenge and give everything to get back in the Premier League, I do as manager obviously or I wouldn’t be here.’
Dyche went on to say that despite spending in the summer, it’s balanced as with around a £10million spend, we’re expecting to make that back and some change with the Danny Ings transfer to Liverpool.
‘We have to run a business as well, we’ve spent about £10m, we’ll bring in about £15m depending on Ingsy’s situation, but we have to balance. Derby, Middlesbrough are going for it, they’re not bothered about what they’re bringing in, they’re looking at what they’re spending, and they’re spending well. There’s no angle to my words, it’s just fact. Five, seven years ago, you come out of the Premier League and you are the powerful club. Its just changed. Look at the bids Sheffield Wednesday are putting in, you wouldn’t have thought it a year, 18 months, two years ago. Ownership has changed in the Championship and the challenge has changed, finance has changed massively, presumably because of the enticement of the new TV deal.’
Quotes – Burnley Express.
And that brings us to the Daily Mail and Gray.
They report that with Swansea City desperate for goals with their Premier League struggles so far this season, they are preparing to double our money and make an offer of around £12.5million for Gray.
It would be a club record fee for them, but it’s said that Gray is their second pick for interim manager Alan Curtis as Napoli have already rejected a £14million offer for striker Manolo Gabbiadini.
That’s about as concrete as that particular link gets at the minute.
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