According to a recent report by the Burnley Express, Burnley are close to completing a season-long loan deal for Chelsea midfield ace Danny Drinkwater before the transfer deadline at 5 pm later today. In a pre-match press conference before the Clarets take on Southampton at the weekend, Burnley boss Sean Dyche provided an update when he said (via Burnley Express),
“I think it will be a challenge for him (at Burnley).
“On the other hand I don’t think he lacks belief to forge his way into the side over time.
“That is the hunger and desire that we want and that extra competitive edge to the situation we find ourselves in.
“It was more highlighted with Steven Defour and his continued work with his injury, he is doing well but it is not going to be weeks.
“In the meantime Danny is one who we thought could come in, and if it gets done then his challenge is to get in the team.”
Drinkwater’s Frustrating Spell At Stamford Bridge
The 29-year-old found first-team opportunities hard to come by at Stamford Bridge last season. He made just one appearance for the Pensioners during Maurizio Sarri’s brief managerial reign at the West London club. Drinkwater is in dire need of regular game time, so a loan move to Burnley could be an ideal opportunity for him to get his career back on track.
Drinkwater Has Won A Few Trophies During His Career In English Football
The English talent has previously won the Premier League title with Leicester City and Chelsea respectively. He has also won the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup once during his playing career. Drinkwater will bring a winning mentality to the Turf Moor which could help Sean Dyche’s side claim a top-half finish in the English top-flight next season.
The former Manchester United youth product has also represented England in three international matches thus far. However, he needs to secure a regular run of games so that he can prove his worth and earn a place back in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad in the coming years.
What Will The English Midfielder Add To Dyche’s Side?
The acquisition of player of Drinkwater’s experience will undeniably improve the overall depth of Dyche’s squad. However, the English midfielder has lacked sharpness in recent seasons. Therefore he is expected to work hard on the training field so that he is able to establish himself as a regular member of the Burnley starting XI.
Drinkwater can pass the ball accurately in midfield and can make some penetrative runs in the opposition half. He enjoyed the best year of his career during the 2015-16 title-winning campaign with the Foxes when he scored three goals and grabbed eight assists in 37 matches across all competitions. Only time will tell whether he can reignite his old form at Burnley if the loan deal goes through before 5 pm today.
