"Not good enough at the time" - Burnley told to consider Turf Moor return for QPR's Jimmy Dunne | OneFootball

FLW's Burnley fan pundit would like to see a former player return to the club at the end of his contract.

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's outstanding defensive record this season has been well documented and it could lead to transfer interest in their players this summer.

Scott Parker's side have conceded just nine goals in their 33 league games so far this season and they are currently on a run of 11 consecutive clean sheets in the Championship which dates back to December.

The Clarets will hope that their solid foundations can help them achieve promotion back to the Premier League, with just five points separating them from Sheffield United in second place as things stand.

Considering the defensive record that Burnley have this season, it will be no surprise if one or two of their most influential players are the subject of transfer interest during the summer, especially if they fail to win promotion back to the top flight this term.

Tottenham Hotspur made a late bid to sign centre-back Maxime Esteve on deadline day at the end of the January transfer window, but the offer was deemed to be way short of what the Clarets wanted for the Frenchman midway through the campaign.

There is every chance that bigger clubs will come in with offers for the likes of Esteve and goalkeeper James Trafford this summer, so Burnley may decide to take a look at whether there are any out-of-contract players who they could sign to replace them for nothing.

Burnley urged to keep tabs on QPR defender

We asked our Burnley fan pundit, Josh Lucas, whether there is an out-of-contract Championship player who he would like to see at Turf Moor next season.

"In terms of players who are out of contract this summer, I would probably go with someone like Jimmy Dunne," said Josh.

"Obviously, Jimmy Dunne used to play for us, but he was not good enough at the time, and he is now doing really well for Queens Park Rangers.

"If we do not go up to the Premier League and we lose Maxime Esteve, or even Egan-Riley because he is supposedly out-of-contract as well, then I feel like Dunne could be a really good asset.

"He could be an ideal backup to either Joe Worrall or Egan-Riley, and he could provide competition for Jordan Beyer, who will obviously be coming back as well.

"I do feel like, if we lose Esteve or Egan-Riley, then Jimmy Dunne could be the one to go for.

"He has proven at QPR that he is good enough, at least at Championship level."

A Turf Moor return for Jimmy Dunne could be a shrewd piece of business by Burnley

Dunne previously played for Burnley between 2017 and 2021, making three league appearances over the course of his spell in Lancashire and scoring a Premier League goal against Leicester City during the 2020/21 campaign.

The 27-year-old signed for QPR for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2021, so if the Clarets were able to bring him back to Turf Moor on a free at the end of his contract this summer, it would have to be seen as a shrewd piece of business.

He has been the Rs standout player in the Championship this season by some distance according to FotMob's rating system, and he has also shown that he can still pop up with a goal every now and then, having found the net four times so far this term.

The physical defender could prove to be a smart addition for Burnley, and would be available for free as long as he does not agree fresh terms at Loftus Road.