Burnley have finally returned to Europe after 51 years of waiting. Sean Dyche has successfully completed the “Mission Impossible” and the club are on a high after their scintillating performances last season. Burnley have also renamed a local pub, calling it the “The Dyche Pub” in support of the manager’s achievements last term. Burnley will now focus on their new campaign ahead as achievements don’t mean anything if you aren’t consistent.
Dyche’s team was rigid and solid at the back, barely conceding goals at Turf Moor. Though they were impressive at the back, Burnley found goals hard to come by. If they are aiming for a successful European campaign, the Clarets will need to recruit a few players in the summer.
One such player who could help them do is West Brom’s Matt Phillips. The winger joined the Baggies from Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 2016, and he has impressed during his time at the Hawthorns, despite enduring a difficult campaign last term.
The Scotland international possesses an exceptional technical ability, and his eye for goal would certainly help provide an added level of potency to Burnley’s attacking play. He made 23 appearances in the league last season, scoring 2 goals and providing 2 assists.
Dyche possesses one of the smallest squads in the Premier League, and added competition in the wide attacking areas will be a necessity for the Clarets if they are to maintain their incredible recent rise to prominence.
Phillips can play anywhere along the front-line, and that kind of versatility could prove to be vital to Burnley for next season, which is set to be another long and physically punishing campaign.
Quite how much the Burnley will have to pay for the 27-year-old is unclear, but if Dyche does manage to bring him to Turf Moor this summer, it could turn out to be a signing of real significance for the club. With the likes of Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Chris Wood in support, Phillips could unleash the beast inside him.
It will be vital for Dyche to acquire the services of the Scot, and given the fact that the Baggies have been relegated from the Premier League, the player could be tempted to make the move away from the club. A move to Burnley would see him play Premier League football again, while he will also get to feature in the Europa League.
