Why Preston star Ben Pearson would be a real coup for Burnley
According to The Sun (3 November, Page 61), Burnley are plotting a raid on their Lancashire rivals Preston North End for influential midfielder Ben Pearson.
The report adds that Clarets manager Sean Dyche is keen to add more strength to his central midfield options in January and has identified the former Man United youth product as someone who fits the bill perfectly.
This is not the first time, though, that Burnley have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old defensive midfielder, with the Daily Mail first reporting about the Clarets’ interest in Pearson back in January 2018.
Pearson has been one of the key driving forces behind Preston North End’s surge to second in the Championship standings following an excellent start to the campaign, with the Oldham-born enforcer continuing in his role as one of the mainstays in the middle of the park.
The Lilywhites have laid down an early marker as one of the promotion favourites this term and the 24-year-old has been at the centre of a lot of good things that Alex Neil’s side have achieved so far.
While the likes of Daniel Johnson and Paul Gallagher have been the key goal contributors from central midfield in the first quarter of the campaign, Ben Pearson hasn’t made much of an impact with goals but he has certainly done an excellent job in shielding the backline with his gritty and determined nature as a professional.
As per whoscored, the 24-year-old has won 29 out of his attempted 36 tackles so far, averaging 2.1 per game, while a tally of 14 interceptions suggests that Pearson is right up there with the best in the Championship when it comes to breaking up the play and initiating the build-up from the deeper areas of the pitch.
Furthermore, Pearson averages 47 passes per game at an accuracy of 83.1%, including 4.1 long balls per game, figures which speak volumes of his impressive range of passing and intelligent progressive distribution.
The former England youth international has made a total of 130 appearances for the Lilywhites since his move from Man Utd back in 2016 and his rich vein of form has put him on the verge of a return to the top-flight, with his contract at Preston set to expire in 2021.
To put things into perspective, Ben Pearson is currently one of the best deep-lying midfielders in the Championship and it doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure out that Burnley completing a swoop for the 24-year-old would be a massive coup.
Verdict
The former Man United youth prospect looks ready to make the step up to the Premier League after proving his mettle in the second-tier for a number of seasons and Sean Dyche’s love for homegrown players means that he perfectly fits the bill at Turf Moor.
With Ashley Westwood and Jack Cork both reaching the 30-year mark in age and Jeff Hendrick out of contract next summer, Pearson’s gritty and tough-tackling style of play should make him a tailor-made fit for Dyche’s philosophy.
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Still only 24, Pearson has loads of time on his side to make significant adjustments to his game to match the demands of playing in the top-flight and Burnley have every reason to look at him as a good long-term investment moving forward.
To that end, Ben Pearson to Burnley in January or next summer makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons and this looks like a move that could pay off handsomely for Dyche.
