A look at Johann Berg Gudmundsson's situation after his Burnley FC exit | OneFootball

Johann Berg Gudmundsson left Turf Moor in the summer, and this is what he's up to now

After a stay at Turf Moor that spanned eight seasons, Johann Berg Gudmundsson bid farewell to East Lancashire, taking the route many footballers are now taking and jetting off to Saudi Arabia.

It was something of a surprise move to see him head to the Middle East, not least because, after his departure at the end of the season, he re-signed for the club, only to leave again a matter of weeks later.

The Icelandic international penned a one-year deal in East Lancashire over the summer, admitting after re-joining that he didn't want to leave in the first place.

A furious X-rated row with Vincent Kompany that was aired in the latest season of Mission to Burnley after the season had ended perhaps offered some explanation as to why he left in the first place, and with his return tallying up with the Belgian's departure, perhaps that theory has some legs.

His return was only temporary, as he answered the calls of Saudi Pro League club Al-Orobah soon after, but after the service he'd given the club across eight seasons, Burnley fans didn't begrudge him the move.

Gudmundsson faces a second-successive relegation battle

It's a second battle to beat the drop in as many seasons for Gudmundsson, whose Al-Orobah side find themselves in a battle to beat the drop in the Saudi Pro League.

His new side linger dangerously close to the drop zone in the Saudi top-flight, although given the star names the league has managed to attract in recent years, it is becoming increasingly difficult for smaller clubs to compete with bigger hitters.

Still, Gudmundsson plays with a few household names, including former Chelsea and West Ham man Kurt Zouma, ex Hull City and Fulham midfielder Jean Michael Seri and La Liga winner Cristian Tello.

The Icelandic cap has been a regular for his new side since he made the switch, playing nine times, and while the fact he's received more yellow cards than he's had goal involvements so far would have you believe his spell so far has been a flop, that's not necessarily been the case.

Gudmundsson scored a wonder goal on matchday seven to help Al-Orobah secure a famous win against Al-Ettifaq, who are managed by Steven Gerrard.

In fact, that goal was so good, it was recognised as goal of the round in the Saudi Pro League.

A Saudi move could be one last swansong in Gudmundsson's glittering career

Most Burnley fans would acknowledge that JBG, as he's known in those parts, is one of the most technically gifted footballers they've seen at Turf Moor in recent history.

The send-off he received at the end of the 2023/24 season when it was believed he was leaving showed just how much Burnley fans thought of him, and in the eyes of some Clarets fans, he'll be regarded as a club legend.

The Clarets got eight fantastic years of service out of him, and although his career was often blighted by injury, his quality always shone through.

Signed for a rumoured £2.5m back in the summer of 2016, Gudmundsson will go down as pound-for-pound one of the best signings in the club's history, not least because he was influential in the club getting into Europe for the first time in most fans' lifetimes.

But at 34-years-old now, it's fair to say that he's approaching the twilight of his career, so in that sense, his Saudi move makes complete sense as he begins to prepare for life after football, particularly as his Saudi contract runs over two years as opposed to the one-year deal he had at Burnley.

If his Al-Orobah move does bring the curtain down on his career, then he can look back on what he's achieved with fond memories, particularly at Burnley, where he became a household name.