Throughout Burnley’s heyday within the Premier League underneath Sean Dyche, the Clarets had been well-known for being an attritional aspect defensively.
Certainly, come the top of the memorable 2017/18 marketing campaign that noticed Burnley end in an unbelievable seventh spot, Dyche’s courageous troops had solely shipped a slim 39 targets in whole. So as to add extra context, Arsenal would amazingly ship 12 extra strikes, regardless of ending in fifth.
This might nicely imply Parker’s camp within the right here and now stand a preventing likelihood at Premier League survival, having solely simply leaked a remarkably low 16 targets themselves on the way in which to sealing automated promotion within the Championship.
However, all of the publicity surrounding Burnley’s rock-solid defence has come again to chunk them, with valiant Clarets centre-back CJ Egan-Riley now heading for the exit door.
Egan-Riley’s state of affairs at Burnley
Egan-Riley was a key part of the Clarets’ formidable defence in 2024/25, culminating within the former Manchester Metropolis defender selecting up a bumper 26 clear sheets from 41 Championship ties.
Sadly, his contract state of affairs at Turf Moor has change into Burnley’s personal undoing, with the 22-year-old’s present deal on the membership expiring later this month, resulting in him looking for out different employers within the type of RC Strasbourg and West Ham United.
This could be a disorienting loss for the Clarets to come back to phrases with, contemplating his essential spot within the promotion-winning aspect underneath Parker, however they may win themselves a dream substitute by securing the providers of an skilled Premier League centre-back.
Burnley’s “excellent” Egan-Riley substitute
Burnley might be nicely conscious that including in expertise right here and there could possibly be very important in boosting their survival possibilities, with the Clarets of outdated counting on seasoned heads akin to Ben Mee and James Tarkowski to get them out of sticky conditions.
Joe Gomez might are available in and supply that very same stage of safety, with a latest report from the Empire of the Kop revealing that amid curiosity from Leeds and the Clarets, Liverpool would not stand in the way in which of the 28-year-old if he did fancy leaving Anfield behind this summer time, having now positioned a £25m price-tag above his head.
While the London-born centre-back has been troubled by recurring harm points in latest seasons – as seen in him lacking a mixed 29 video games throughout the final two campaigns – he has proven up to now for the Reds that he could be an imposing presence at an elite stage.
That is evident in Gomez solely leaking 106 targets from 149 Premier League contests and counting, with the Liverpool quantity two’s calm and composed presence probably vital in easing Burnley’s nerves up a division with Egan-Riley not round.
|
Gomez’s total PL numbers |
|
|---|---|
|
Video games performed |
149 |
|
Objectives conceded |
106 |
|
Tackles |
211 |
|
Tackles gained |
72% |
|
Recoveries |
720 |
|
Duels gained |
590 |
|
Aerial battles gained |
253 |
|
Passes per match |
53.79 |
|
Wins |
99 |
|
Clear sheets |
47 |
|
Stats from the Premier League |
|
When glancing on the desk above, it is even clearer that Gomez can be a welcome addition to Parker’s ranks to exchange Egan-Riley.
Certainly, the “excellent” defender, as he was as soon as praised by Reds teammate Virgil Van Dijk, averages a 72% deal with success price throughout his wealth of top-flight expertise.
Furthermore, he did not look misplaced both final season when thrown into the deep-end by Arne Slot, with a excessive 89% move price averaged throughout his 9 league contests. Egan-Riley, regardless of being entrance and centre of the Clarets’ defence all season lengthy, solely averaged an 86% move price quite the opposite.
In fact, Gomez has been helped on Merseyside by the distinctive calibre of the teammates round him.
However, to attempt to instantly plug the outlet left behind by Egan-Riley, Burnley might do far worse than snapping up the constant Liverpool quantity two of their efforts to attempt to safe survival.
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