Burnley will be acutely aware that having a fearsome striker will surely improve their prospects of remaining in the Premier League next season.
Unfortunately, they did not have it during the 2023/24 season, which ended in relegation, as the goal-shy Clarets only scored 41 goals in 38 games.
As a result, it wouldn’t come as a huge surprise if Scott Parker was looking for a new striker capable of causing Premier League defences all sorts of problems.
Arguably, the promoted Lancashire team has struggled in this department since Chris Wood left Turf Moor in 2022, with the New Zealand international moving on to bigger and better things at the City Ground, while his previous employers attempted to fill the void.
Wood’s heroics in Burnley
The 33-year-old is unquestionably a Premier League goal machine.
However, when he joined the Clarets in the summer of 2017 for a club-record fee of £15 million, he had only ever played in the top tier briefly, having previously excelled in the Championship.
However, after five goal-laden seasons in Burnley colours, Wood had effectively proclaimed himself to the Premier League, with the 33-year-old finishing his brilliant spell with the Clarets with 53 goals in 165 outings.
As a result, replacing such an important member of many a Clarets team was always going to be a difficult task, with a slew of attackers failing to reproduce or match Wood’s power in the seasons following his transfer to St James’ Park.
| Most prolific striker by season since Wood’s exit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striker | Season | League | Games played | Goals scored |
| Zian Flemming | 24/25 | Champ | 31 | 14 |
| Zeki Amdouni | 23/24 | PL | 37 | 6 |
| Rodriguez | 22/23 | Champ | 30 | 10 |
| Jay Rodriguez | 21/22 | PL | 35 | 7 |
| Sourced by Transfermarkt | ||||
While Zian Flemming scored a total of 14 goals last season on his way to promotion, the Clarets have lacked a commanding striker presence in the top flight since Wood’s departure, with the exception of some competent performances from Zeki Amdouni and Jay Rodriguez.
Parker’s men might shift the narrative by swooping in for this former star, who has been connected with a return to familiar grounds.
How Burnley might get their finest ST since Wood
Prior to Wood’s arrival, Burnley relied on the “clinical” forward, praised by journalist Leanne Prescott, to score 43 goals in 130 games, adding to his 72 goals in the top division.
Along with a strong desire to have a goal machine in the Premier League again, the newly promoted team will be eager to establish themselves as a top-flight regular once more.
To aid with this, the Clarets may attempt to bring back former star Danny Ings, with journalist Graeme Bailey claiming that the 32-year-old’s spectacular return to Turf Moor should not be ruled out, despite the veteran being pursued by Birmingham City and Wrexham.
After all, before to Wood’s much-discussed time, the “clinical” forward – as he has previously been hailed by journalist Leanne Prescott – was the original poacher on whom Burnley relied to get them out of difficult situations.
In total, the 5-foot-10 threat scored 43 goals for the Clarets in 130 games, adding to his 72-goal record in the top level.
As a result, while he is better renowned for his injury history at West Ham United, Burnley may be willing to take a chance on their former striker doing well once more in their chase of a Premier League-proven star.
After all, Ings managed to score a healthy eight goals in 15 top-flight starts for the Hammers and Villa during the 2022/23 season before his injury problems came in.
He would also cost nothing to come in, given his expiring contract with the Hammers, so Parker and co. may look quite smug later on if he proves to be a hit once more, becoming their most prolific attacker since Wood’s heyday.
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