Burnley FC: Middlesbrough news should send shockwaves through Turf Moor | OneFootball

Burnley can't afford to let Middlesbrough steal a march in the Morgan Whittaker race

The Morgan Whittaker transfer scenario is one which has been dominating the headlines in the Championship of late, and it seems to be a straight shootout between Burnley and Middlesbrough for where he will end up.

The saga continues to drag on towards the end of the window, and it took a fresh twist in midweek when Whittaker refused to play against Burnley in midweek, although his impact probably wouldn't have stopped the 5-0 drubbing Argyle received.

Such a bold statement from the player would suggest he feels his future lies away from Home Park, and it now just seems to be a simple case of the clubs agreeing fees and him deciding where he wants to go.

The Clarets have already tabled two offers for their long-standing target this month, and for most of the month it seemed like it was only them who held a legitimate interest, but news of a Middlesbrough bid earlier this week made it a two-horse race.

That certainly isn't ideal for Burnley, but they'll still feel in a strong position to get a deal done given their lofty league position.

Middlesbrough's advances should be a wake-up call for Burnley

For most of the month, it seemed like it was only Burnley making a meaningful play to sign Whittaker, but now Middlesbrough have followed up their interest with that aforementioned bid, things are complicated for the Clarets.

Although their league position would suggest they have a better chance of getting into the Premier League than a Middlesbrough side who trail them by a considerable margin, it perhaps isn't all about instant top-flight football for Whittaker, who has struggled for form this season despite impressing in the last campaign.

Middlesbrough have a track record for nurturing young talent and making them Premier League level players over time, with Ben Doak the latest example of a player in the same position as Whittaker, who has come on leaps and bounds on Teesside.

That will certainly serve as cause for concern for Scott Parker, who, despite having a wealth of attacking options, hasn't necessarily been able to get the best out of his wide men, so this added competition doesn't seem timely.

The competition should be a wake-up call for Burnley to flex their financial muscles a bit and put down the kind of money that Boro can't reach to land a man who is evidently this month's number one target.

Burnley are still in need of attacking reinforcements

After their thumping 5-0 win against Plymouth in midweek, the main concern for Burnley fans now is that Parker thinks things are all rosy on the attacking front, and they relent in their pursuit of Whittaker.

That would be a grave mistake for the Clarets to make, as one performance doesn't mean they've necessarily turned a corner completely, but it is a start.

It's in the tighter games that they could really do with a boost from someone like Whittaker, with Burnley dropping a raft of points in games they ought to have won this season - drawing 0-0 on eight separate occasions already this season.

Some of them came against sides the league table would suggest are among the weaker in the league, and the worry is that if they have many more between now and the end of the season, then they could see automatic promotion slip through their fingers.

Defensively, Burnley are phenomenal - the joint-best in English league football history after 28 games in fact - and such solidity gives them the platform to win most games by one goal, and Whittaker could be the difference maker in those tight games if they can fend off Boro's advances.