Why Burnley made a mistake by not signing Benito Raman in summer

Back in April, the Lancashire Live had claimed that Burnley were planning for a summer swoop for Fortuna Dusseldorf star, Benito Raman. However, the Clarets didn’t make a move and Benito Raman joined FC Schalke during the summer transfer window.

The Belgian forward, 24, had enjoyed a really good 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign as he scored 10 goals and supplied four assists in 30 games for Dusseldorf.

During the 2017-18 campaign, he made 19 starts and nine substitute appearances in the second division in Germany for Dusseldorf, scoring 10 goals and providing two assists in the process.

Considering Benito Raman’s consistent productivity in Germany for the last two seasons, Burnley have certainly missed a trick by not signing him.

The Clarets may have started the new Premier League campaign decently but they continue to be majorly dependent on Ashley Barnes.

Barnes has been in rollicking form thus far, bagging four goals in three games. He and Chris Wood have formed a strong partnership up front and they remain Sean Dyche’s chief source of goals.

However, that must change if Burnley are to climb the table this term. An injury to either of Barnes or Wood, especially the former, would leave Dyche reeling for striker options.

Dyche did sign Jay Rodriguez but the one-cap England international hasn’t been renowned as a prolific goalscorer in his career. Not only goals, but the Clarets also lack the cutting edge going forward.

That’s where Benito Raman would have made a difference at Turf Moor. The 24-year-old has proven to be a fine player in Germany since arriving from Standard Liege in 2017.

Raman featured on both wings and in a central role for Dusseldorf last season, so his versatility would have been a huge asset to Burnley.

Read More Burnley news, click here: Burnley latest news

In terms of his attributes, the former Under-21 Belgium international is one of those forwards who like to play on the shoulder of the last defender. He likes to run the channels, finish off the chances with consistency and also link up play with other attacking players.

The 24-year-old has already shown his quality to score vital goals in the Bundesliga and help others in and around the forward line.

Verdict

All in all, signing Raman would have taken Burnley’s attack to the next level and helped them regain the fantastic form they had in 2017/18 campaign. The diminutive Belgian could have a massive difference to Dyche’s side and it could have turned out to be a shrewd move for them.