Burnley told to avoid repeat of £12m Wout Weghorst transfer situation | OneFootball

The Dutch striker failed to find his feet at Turf Moor, with the Clarets paying the price with relegation from the Premier League

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Burnley are on the hunt for a striker this winter, with Scott Parker’s side looking for a player who can find the back of the net on a regular basis to help their chances of earning an immediate return to the Premier League.

While the Clarets are battling at the top of the division after dropping down from the top flight last season, a return of just 31 goals in 26 league games is far from spectacular at this point in the campaign, with 12 other teams netting more so far in the season .

Josh Brownhill is the club’s top scorer this season with nine league goals, with Zian Flemming the highest scoring recognised frontman with just four goals to his name, which highlights the need for a dominant number nine between now and the end of the season.

Bringing in a forward in January could help to get the Turf Moor outfit over the line, but they will be approaching any deals with caution after being burned before in that regard, with Football League World’s Burnley fan pundit Josh Lucas still raging over Wout Weghorst’s stint in the north west.

Wout Weghorst, Burnley move fails to help Clarets’ attacking issues

Much was made of Weghorst’s move to Lancashire back in the January of 2022, with the Dutch striker jointing for a reported eight-figure fee from Wolfsburg in the hope that he would fire the club to Premier League survival in the remainder of the campaign.

The difference in expectation and reality was vast though, with the striker failing to get to grips with what was expected of him at the time, with a return of two goals in 20 top flight matches speaking for itself, as Burnley returned to the EFL after six seasons dining at the top table.

Having failed to do the job required of him, Weghorst was then reluctant to play in the English second tier, and promptly made a number of loan moves away from the club, with Besiktas, Manchester United and Hoffenheim all taking him temporarily, before he was finally on his way out permanently as he joined Ajax last summer.

Overall, it was money down the drain for the Clarets, who had a player on their books for two-and-a-half-years, but only saw him take to the field 22 times in league competition, and Lucas is keen for his side to avoid a repeat scenario this time around.

When asked about a mistake Burnley had made in the transfer market that he would hate to see again, he said: “One of our biggest mistakes was obviously going for a player like Wout Weghorst.

“He clearly didn’t play Sean Dyche football at the time, we spent £12 million on him, and not only was he not good enough, but he didn’t fit into our tactics and couldn’t fit in properly, and clearly had an attitude problem.

“Obviously, we are looking for a striker right now, and we need to not make the same mistake as we did with him.

“Even after we got relegated and he didn’t want to be here, we sent him out on loan and then eventually sold him, but it was just a saga for two and a half transfer windows.

“It was always ‘Is he going to be here, is he not?’ We didn’t need that at the time, and if we are going to get in a striker in that we need, he needs to be able to play our football and fit in with the group quite well.”

Burnley must find suitable fit to fill striker role this winter

The whole Weghorst situation will still be firmly in the minds of Burnley fans this January, with the club wanting to find a player who can bolster their chances of promotion, without disrupting the harmony in the squad at this moment in time.

With James Trafford only conceding nine goals at the other end, the Clarets rarely need more than a single goal to claim all three points in league games this season, and with a dependable figure up top, everything could click into gear up top between now and the season’s finale come May.

While Lyle Foster works his way back to full fitness, and wily campaigners Jay Rodriguez [pictured] and Ashley Barnes plough a furrow in the final third, another fresh face could well make the difference, although history has proven that the club don’t need to rush into decisions, with a player’s fit into Parker’s system more important than anything at this moment in time.