Premier League 2025-26 Preview No 6: Burnley

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 20th (NB: this is not needfully Andy Hunter’s prediction but nan mean of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 2nd successful nan Championship

Prospects

No nine encapsulates nan widening gulf betwixt nan apical 2 tiers of English shot rather for illustration Burnley. Their grounds complete nan past 4 seasons reads: relegated from nan Premier League pinch 35 points, promoted arsenic champions of nan Championship pinch 101 points, relegated from nan Premier League again pinch 24 points and promoted from nan Championship again pinch 100 points. Too beardown for 1 convention but not beardown capable for nan next, Burnley and their eager owners look a sizeable situation to move nan tide of caller history.

Under Scott Parker, the recently promoted team are apt to adopt a much pragmatic attack to their Premier League return than past clip nether Vincent Kompany, though relegation didn’t do his profession prospects immoderate harm. Promotion was built connected nan backmost of an outstanding defence and endurance whitethorn dangle connected a repetition performance. It is not only nan measurement up successful value that casts uncertainty connected those prospects, however, but nan truth Parker has mislaid cardinal components of nan portion responsible for nan champion protect grounds successful English convention history past play – a measly 16 goals successful 46 games – pinch 30 cleanable sheets kept on nan way.

CJ Egan-Riley has near for Marseille aft rejecting Burnley’s connection of a caller statement while goalkeeper James Trafford, who was named successful nan Championship Team of nan Season for 2024-25 alongside nan cardinal defender, has rejoined Manchester City. Survival hopes person been deed by their exits but astatine slightest Maxime Estève, who besides had admirers, has stayed and signed a caller five-year deal.

Fielding an onslaught of Premier League calibre could besides beryllium a problem for Burnley. Midfielder and skipper Josh Brownhill was nan side’s apical scorer past play but will travel Egan-Riley successful leaving connected a free transfer. Parker has added acquisition to nan defence successful Kyle Walker and Axel Tuanzebe. It will beryllium required.

The manager

Scott Parker is connected an identical ngo to his nine this season: some must break an unwelcome rhythm to past successful nan Premier League aft their 2 erstwhile attempts failed. Last season’s promotion was nan 3rd of nan erstwhile England international’s managerial profession and, on pinch Fulham and Bournemouth, achieved astatine nan first clip of asking. He has ne'er reached a 2nd successive play successful nan apical formation arsenic a manager, however, losing his occupation aft suffering relegation pinch Fulham successful 2021 and being sacked by Bournemouth aft criticising their transportation argumentation aft a 9-0 thrashing astatine Liverpool successful 2022. Parker and Burnley will dream for 3rd clip lucky.

Off-field picture

The Clarets are group to go nan latest squad nether multi-club ownership aft Velocity Sport Limited (VSL), nan sports limb of their finance group owners ALK Capital, agreed a woody to return complete Espanyol. Former NFL prima JJ Watt, a number investor successful Burnley, has confirmed he will beryllium progressive successful buying nan La Liga club. VSL will go mostly shareholders astatine Espanyol pinch nan Catalan club’s erstwhile owners, nan Chinese institution Rastar Group, remaining involved. The woody is yet to beryllium ratified but Espanyol person stated they will beryllium independent from Burnley.

Star signing

Manchester City were consenting to portion institution pinch Kyle Walker aft 8 years of stellar work and Milan opted against making past season’s indebtedness move permanent, but it was still thing of a astonishment erstwhile nan England world made Turf Moor nan adjacent step successful his awesome career. At 35, nan renowned gait whitethorn beryllium slowing but nan right-back remains fiercely competitory and will bring nan leadership, acquisition and expertise that Burnley will request to survive. Walker wanted to enactment successful nan north-west and was sold connected Burnley by Parker, his erstwhile Tottenham team-mate. The imaginable of joining England’s 100 nine – Walker presently has 96 caps – will besides spur him on.

Burnley's Joe Westley finds himself tangled successful legs aft scoring against Huddersfield Town during a pre-season friendly. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA

Stepping up

The 20-year-old striker Joe Westley will beryllium looking to build connected past season’s important breakthrough erstwhile he stepped up to nan EFL for nan first time. After indebtedness spells pinch National League teams Fylde and Rochdale, Westley joined Swindon connected a impermanent woody successful January and made an contiguous effect pinch a extremity connected his League Two debut. He scored 3 goals successful 17 appearances for Ian Holloway’s broadside successful total, having netted 13 times successful 13 games for Burnley’s under-21s successful nan first half of nan season, and made his people this pre-season pinch nan victor successful a friends against Huddersfield.

A large play for …

Aaron Ramsey suffered a superior knee wounded against Arsenal successful February 2024, and it has been a agelong roadworthy backmost for nan erstwhile England under-20 international. Ramsey, younger relative of Aston Villa’s Jacob, joined Burnley for £14m positive add-ons successful 2023 but has been restricted to 1 little substitute quality for nan first squad successful nan 18 months since his injury. “It’s easy to beryllium forgotten astir erstwhile you’re not connected nan pitch,” nan attacking midfielder admitted past season. Now fresh and pinch a pre-season down him, nan 22-year-old is connected people for a invited return.