Burnley have suffered a heavy blow as far as their defensive area is concerned as they had to let go of their mainstay in the backline, Michael Keane, who had been in sublime form throughout the last couple of seasons for the Clarets after his loan move from Manchester United in 2014, which he made permanent in 2015, after he helped them to get promotion into the top tier of English football. The English centre-back has made a move to Everton for a transfer deal amounting to £25 million on Monday.
Now that the move has left the Premier League club with a big void in the heart of their defence, the Clarets are eyeing a viable replacement for their inspirational defender for the next season. Among a number of names that have been linked with a move to Turf Moor, the 26-year-old centre-back Tom Lees has come up as the most suitable one for the concerned position in the Burnley line-up.
The Sheffield Wednesday player has been one of the most highly rated defenders in the Championship and has proved his mettle over the years at the heart of the defence for his club. He was instrumental in his performance last season as well, which helped his team to reach the semi-final of the Championship playoffs. They were beaten by Huddersfield Town, who eventually went on to clinch promotion into the Premier League by beating Reading on penalties in the final.
Reportedly, Lees has four years left on his contract with Sheffield Wednesday. He has attracted interests from a number of clubs in the Championships as well as Premier League including the likes of Huddersfield Town, Middlesbrough, Derby County, Sunderland and Hull City apart from Burnley, who want to bring him in as a part of their squad for the next season.
It goes without saying that The Owls will love to hold onto their prized possession for the next season as well, but with the Premier League clubs like Burnley and Huddersfield Town knocking on the door, it is going to be a difficult task for them to restrict Lees from making a move to top flight football in the summer.
The Englishman has been one of the most important players for the Championship club since his arrival at the Hillsborough Stadium in 2014 from Championship rivals Leeds United. He has been an integral part of the line-up for the Owls and was offered a four-year long deal last summer, which he gleefully accepted.
