Reports have confirmed that Burnley are interested in signing Arsenal’s young centre-back Rob Holding. The ex-Bolton man has played mainly a backup role in the Arsenal set up and a move to Burnley will help him get regular game time. It is believed Arsene Wenger is ready to sanction the deal with the Gunners likely to ask for a £15 million fee.
The Clarets are enjoying a dream start to their 2017-18 season. In a season where the good teams like Everton and West Ham United have failed to turn up, Burnley have gone about their business quietly. They are now eighth in the table and fighting hard against the top six sides of England. However, the jammed up fixture schedule of January has seen Dyche’s men fall off the pace a little bit and the Clarets are now winless for eight matches.
They have notched up nine wins and just been defeated on eight occasions in their 26 matches this season. A strange number amidst all these stats is the fact that they have just scored 19 goals in the process in their matches. It means they well outside the top ten in terms of goals scored but however has still been able to stay eighth on the table.
The credit obviously goes to Sean Dyche’s defensive infrastructure at Burnley. They have been incredibly difficult to get past and barring the top teams no other team has been able to break their defence on more than one occasion in ninety minutes. They have the fourth-best defence in the league and have just conceded 23 goals in their 26 allotted matches, which averages to less than 1 goal per match.
However, to keep up this good form and possibly challenge for a European spot, Burnley are looking to add more players to their squad this transfer window. Dyche’s men know that their strength lies in their solid defence and they must add fresh quality at the back so as to not risk a burn out for the existing bunch.
However, adding quality is not exactly the easiest thing to do in this expensive market. Hence the report for Burnley chasing Arsenal’s Rob Holding seems to be an ideal deal for all parties. The 22-year-old has who can play anywhere across the backline has featured in only 19 senior team appearances with just 7 Premier League appearances despite Wenger having senior defenders out injured. His move to Burnley will give him enough game time and the Englishman might benefit by working with a shrewd tactician like Dyche.
