Swansea City have Bradford City trump card in Oli McBurnie chase | OneFootball

Swansea City boss Alan Sheehan was once a teammate of Oli McBurnie at Bradford City which surely boosts their chance of landing his signature

With his brief stay at La Liga club UD Las Palmas set to come to an end this summer, Oli McBurnie is on the lookout for a new club and, unsurprisingly, he's attracting interest from Championship clubs.

The Scottish international is proven at Championship level, with a promotion to the top-flight under his belt with Sheffield United in 2023, and his impressive 2018/19 second tier campaign with Swansea City saw him earn a Premier League move in the summer of 2019.

McBurnie spent four years in total with the Swans, and despite just one full season of regular first-team football, he's seen as a bit of a fan favourite amongst the Jack Army thanks to his goals and vocal admiration of the club since leaving.

With that in mind, it's no surprise to see the Swans are reportedly interested in McBurnie, who will become a free agent following Las Palmas' relegation from the Spanish top-flight, and while it seemed inevitable given past ties with the club, they may just have an unlikely Bradford City trump card up their sleeves too.

Swansea City should use Alan Sheehan, Bradford City factor in race to sign Oli McBurnie

Swansea aren't alone in their interest in McBurnie with Hull City also keen, but Swans boss Alan Sheehan could well be able to convince the striker to return to SA1.

This is because the pair were teammates together at Bradford City during the early days of McBurnie's career, and knowing the manager so well can only benefit Swansea if they are serious about signing the 28-year-old.

McBurnie clearly gets on well with Sheehan, and you only have to see how he responded to the news of his former teammate getting the job until the end of the season at Swansea to see how pleased he was.

Sheehan impressed in the spell where he was given the job until the end of the season and now has a three-year deal at the Swansea.com Stadium, meaning he'll be looking to put his own stamp on the squad this summer.

A new striker will be a priority for Sheehan with Zan Vipotnik flattering to deceive last season, and while a move for McBurnie likely won't come cheap in terms of wages, it could make sense for a number of reasons.

Not only does McBurnie have history with the club, but one of his former teammates is in charge, and surely no other Championship club would be able to compete with that.

The 28-year-old raised eyebrows when he left Sheffield United for Las Palmas, so it may not be a shock should he pursue new opportunities abroad, but if he opts to return to the Championship then Swansea will almost certainly be strong contenders to secure his signature.

Swansea need a striker, and signing someone who knows the club well and is proven in the Championship seems like a no-brainer, but McBurnie hasn't been prolific in recent seasons.

The 28-year-old scored five goals for Las Palmas this season, not an awful return for a club that struggled and was ultimately relegated from La Liga, but he scored just 29 goals in 159 appearances for Sheffield United, just seven more than he scored during the entire 2018/19 Championship season at Swansea.

McBurnie hasn't been prolific since leaving the Swans six years ago, but he'd likely still be a better option than Vipotnik and Florian Bianchini, and perhaps a move back to a club which holds such fond memories could get the Scotsman back to his best.

It wouldn't be without its risks, but Sheehan could well get the best out of his former Bradford City teammate should he convince him to make the move back to SA1, and McBurnie would certainly strengthen Swansea's attacking options should he make a shock return this summer.