Why Fabian Delph would be a useful signing for Burnley in January
According to the Daily Mail, Burnley could be set to reignite their interest in out-of-favour Everton midfielder Fabian Delph in the January transfer window.
The Clarets had been heavily linked with a move for the England international back in the summer but he ended up staying put at Goodison Park. As per the report, Burnley are on the lookout for reinforcements to bolster their squad during the mid-season trading period, with Delph back in the club’s radar once again.
The 31-year-old joined Everton in 2019 for a fee of around £10million after winning two Premier League titles during his stint at Man City. However, Delph managed only 20 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees last term and has continued to play a bit-part role under Carlo Ancelotti in the ongoing campaign.
With new signings Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure establishing themselves as key players, Delph has found himself restricted to just 7 appearances in all competitions so far this season. That he has started just twice in the Premier League clearly underlines his status as a fringe player at Everton.
Meanwhile, Burnley can certainly do with some fresh additions to their squad in January after a low-key transfer window in the summer. Having only managed to rope in goalkeeper Will Norris and midfielder Dale Stephens last time, the Lancashire outfit will be hoping to bag a few scalps in the market next month.
The Clarets have managed to breathe some oxygen into their tottering campaign with victories over Arsenal and Wolves in recent weeks. However, with the club still languishing in the bottom half of the table, Sean Dyche needs more depth and quality to help his side climb up the table.
Truth be told, Burnley have depth issues in several departments, having spent very little to bolster their ranks in recent windows. Fabian Delph ticks plenty of boxes to come through the door as a marquee signing for the club in the January window.
The Clarets currently have just four recognised central midfielders in the form of Stephens, Josh Brownhill, Ashley Westwood and Jack Cork competing for places. They have struck new deals to secure the futures of Westwood and Cork in recent months but Delph still has the profile to add some real depth and quality to Dyche’s ranks.
Read More:
- Why Barcelona star Samuel Umtiti would be a great signing for Everton
- Why Lucas Ocampos would be a quality signing for Everton in January
Verdict
A two-time PL winner with Man City and a veteran of close to 200 top-flight appearances in his career, the England international still has a lot to offer. Despite his advancing years, Delph looks more than capable of playing a key role for Burnley in the next two or three seasons. Dyche has a reputation of bringing the best out of hard-working central midfielders and the 31-year-old should fit into the manager’s philosophy at Turf Moor.
