Burnley should offer Danny Drinkwater an escape route

According to the Daily Mail, Burnley are plotting a raid on Chelsea for out-of-favour midfielder Danny Drinkwater, with the report claiming that the Clarets are closing in on a loan deal for the 29-year-old before the transfer deadline. 

The Daily Mail understands that Burnley manager Sean Dyche is keen to add more depth and experience to his options in the middle of the park and he has identified Drinkwater as someone who perfectly fits the bill. 

Drinkwater, who made his move to Stamford Bridge from Leicester City for a staggering £30million back in September 2017, played a bit-part role under former manager Antonio Conte but he slipped down the pecking order at the club following the arrival of Maurizio Sarri last season. 

The England international is seemingly not in new manager Frank Lampard’s plans for the upcoming campaign and Burnley are looking to take advantage of the situation by bringing him to Turf Moor, with the lure of regular first-team football in the Premier League expected to appeal to the player. 

A youth exponent of Manchester United, Drinkwater was never really close to making the grade at Old Trafford and he spent time on loan at Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town, Watford and Barnsley before completing a permanent move to Leicester City in January 2012. 

The 29-year-old central midfielder played a key role in the Foxes promotion-winning 2013-14 campaign in the Championship and was once again one of the cornerstones a couple of seasons later in 2015-16 when Claudio Ranieri’s side upset the odds to win the Premier League in the most dramatic of manner. 

Drinkwater’s success in the Premier League at the King Power Stadium saw him drafted into the senior England setup, whilst also earning him a big-money move to Chelsea.

That, however, proved to be the beginning of his downward spiral, as lack of regular minutes at the capital, coupled with injuries, have stalled his rise in English football. 

Suffice to say, Drinkwater desperately needs to complete a move away from Chelsea this summer in a bid to resurrect his career and a move to Burnley apparently makes perfect sense for all parties involved. 

The Clarets have already made some significant moves in the transfer window this summer, including re-signing Jay Rodriguez from West Brom, whilst goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell and left-back Erik Pieters have also made their move to Turf Moor.

Drinkwater, though, could be another real coup for Dyche before the deadline on Thursday. 

Drinkwater’s lack of technical abilities might have been one of the reasons behind his undoing at Chelsea but his strength, stamina, drive, determination makes him a perfect fit for Dyche’s old-school philosophy. 

Burnley currently have the likes of Ashley Westwood, Jack Cork, Jeff Hendricks and Steven Defour as options in central midfield but Drinkwater is more than capable of competing for a place in the first-team, whilst also adding valuable depth in a key area of the pitch for the Clarets.

Conclusion

Drinkwater’s ill-fated at Stamford Bridge have caused his stocks to dwindle but Burnley should be aware of the quality that the 29-year-old could possibly add to their ranks. 

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Still only 29, the central midfielder has ample time on his side to get his career back on track, and that said, the Clarets should not hesitate to offer him an escape route this summer.