Having managed to break into Europe for the first time this century, Burnley are now a team on the rise and Sean Dyche is now looking to add some quality to his first team to help them compete with the best next season.
This has seen them linked with some established stars recently and one name that is exciting many Burnley fans is Manchester City midfielder, Yaya Toure.
Burnley Join Toure Race:
Having spent eight successful years at Etihad, former Barcelona star Yaya Toure is set to quit Manchester City this summer as a free agent. He has a number of offers from around Europe and from The USA and Asia but it is understood that Toure, whose family is well settled in England, is desperate to stay back in the Premier League for another season.
He turns 35 later this month and still has a year left at his best and reports suggest that the likes of Everton and Wolves are interested in his services. Burnley are also showing interest in the player but is he a good option for The Clarets?
Toure And His History:
Having moved to Manchester City in 2010 after winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League with Barcelona, Toure, who was named the African Footballer of the Year from 2011 to 2014, has won three Premier League titles including the one he lifted this season.
He was crucial to the title victories in 2012 and 2014 but had managed zero league starts this season until tonight. He was not effective in the three UCL ties that he started and it does not come as a surprise that Pep Guardiola, who sold him to Manchester City while at Camp Nou, is ready to let him leave yet again.
An experienced and gifted midfielder with 315 appearances for The Citizens in all competitions, the 34-year old is an excellent dribbler and a serious threat in front of goal. He can glide past opponents with ease and can set up chances for his side on a regular basis and will be a huge coup for a club like Burnley.
Where Does He Fit In?
Dyche has decent options for his midfield roles in a 4-4-2 system as the likes of Jack Cork, Steven Defour and Ashley Westwood have shown some sort of consistency this season. But with a chance to prove themselves in Europe, Burnley need players who are experienced at that level and Toure fits the bill pretty well.
The manager likes his team to be compact and defend as a whole unit, and Toure can not only add stability to the midfield but will also bring some creativity, which could be a game changer for Burnley. Having to sit back and soak up the pressure to hit teams on the counter, Toure can act as the pivot, picking up runners from a deeper role and giving Burnley a different dimension in attack.
As a free agent, Toure is well worth the risk but do you think he is the right man for Burnley?