Why Burnley should make a move for Stoke City’s Sam Clucas in January

Back in August 2018, the Lancashire Telegraph had claimed that Burnley had agreed an £8million fee with Swansea City for Sam Clucas. However, the move collapsed as the Clarets could not agree on personal terms with the midfielder.

Sam Clucas, 29, joined Stoke City from Swansea City in the summer of 2018. He had an injury-hit debut campaign with Stoke City that limited him to just 26 appearances in the Championship. This season, the midfielder has already made 22 appearances, scoring six goals in the process.

With Stoke sitting at the bottom of the Championship table, Burnley should take advantage of the Potters’ situation and make a move for Clucas during the January transfer window.

Burnley have registered back-to-back victories which currently sees them at 10th place in the table after 18 games. The Clarets have failed to find consistency and Sean Dyche must improve his squad next month in order to achieve a top-half finish this term.

Jack Cork and Ashley Westwood are the two mainstays in the midfield and have played almost every match. Danny Drinkwater, a loan signing from Chelsea, has been an utter disappointment as injuries have limited him to just one league appearance.

Jeff Hendricks has been used in a variety of midfield roles over the last couple of seasons, and while he has performed admirably well, the Clarets have lacked quality on the bench to change the course of games. That’s when a versatile player like Sam Clucas could be of great help for Dyche’s side.

A solid passer of the ball, the versatile left-footed player can play in different positions across the midfield. He will certainly fit into Dyche’s rigid 4-4-2 system, playing either as one of the central midfielders or as a No. 10 in a 4-4-1-1. His versatility means that the manager can deploy him anywhere based on the requirement.

In 22 games, the 29-year-old has averaged 2.3 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 0.6 clearances and 0.1 blocks. The former Hull City man has supplied 6 assists, 1.3 key passes and 1.7 long balls, with a 79.8% pass success rate. Clucas’ assists and key passes are proof of his abilities to contribute to the team’s play in the final third. [Courtesy: WhoScored]

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Verdict

At Burnley, Clucas’ presence would allow Westwood and Cork to sit deeper. As a result, he can move freely and offer some assistance to the likes of Dwight McNeil, Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood up front. All in all, the Lincoln-born star could offer a different dimension to Dyche’s side.

A technically-gifted and a tactically versatile player, Clucas could be a smart addition for the Clarets.