Burnley manager Scott Parker will now shift his attention to the summer transfer market in order to strengthen his team; yet, after promotion to the Premier League, he will have major decisions about his current options.
Under Parker, the Clarets won 100 points in the Championship, losing only twice – their last league setback coming at the beginning of November. With only 16 goals surrendered, they have set EFL records, shattered a Championship record by nearly half, and, most significantly, returned to the Premier League – and the summer transfer window will provide them with an opportunity to strengthen in order to stay there.
However, while incomings will be critical to their hopes of remaining in the top flight, Parker must make significant decisions about his present squad, with Lyle Foster perhaps one of the most tough to decide on following some bad performances this season.
Lyle Foster could have ran out of auditions to impress Scott Parker.
Foster arrived at Turf Moor in January 2023 after then-boss Vincent Kompany made a personal scouting trip to Belgian outfit Westerlo to watch the South African star, and after completing a deal worth £12 million including add-ons, he was expected to settle into life in east Lancashire while the Clarets completed their Championship demolition that season.
In 11 Championship games for Burnley, including four starts, he only scored once against Wigan Athletic, who were relegated later that season – and several poor displays saw the former Monaco youth star falter despite Burnley’s successful season.
However, it was his Premier League season that made him appear to have mastered the English code. Foster had a good individual start to the season, scoring two goals in his first two home games, as well as a strike away at Luton Town to secure Burnley’s first win of the season and two assists, for a total of five goal contributions in his first six games.
However, time out for mental health concerns and muscular injuries throughout the campaign resulted in only three goal contributions for the remainder of the season, as Burnley was relegated to the Championship at the first attempt.
The recent Championship season was almost a mirror; strong performances saw him record a goal against Blackburn Rovers and an assist in his first four games for the club, but a knee injury on international duty caused him to struggle, and, having found a place on the left side of midfield, Foster only made five more contributions from Christmas until the beginning of April.
Lyle Foster may be sold to bring in additional recruits during the summer transfer window.
The difficulty here is that he hasn’t fully established himself in Burnley’s starting lineup. Foster’s Premier League form and start to the season led to expectations that he would be the division’s top scorer, but Zian Flemming has already broken into the starting lineup as the club’s major talisman.
Furthermore, with the permanent additions of Jaidon Anthony and Marcus Edwards following promotion, any opportunities on the left-wing – where he played consistently until Edwards drove Anthony into that area – have been limited, with only two starts in Burnley’s previous 13.
| Lyle Foster’s Burnley statistics – squad ranking | Number | Rank |
| Minutes played | 1,595 | 14th |
| Goals scored | 2 | =5th |
| Dribbles completed per game | 0.8 | 5th |
| Shots taken per game | 1.4 | 6th |
Burnley will need another striker in the transfer window if they are to stay in the division, and Foster’s Premier League form, while good, has not improved this season.
He might be sold to create room for new arrivals, which would benefit Parker – but there’s a lingering concern that if he’s sold and Burnley fails, he could have assisted them in their Premier League campaign.
It’s one of the most essential decisions to make after getting promoted.
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