Burnley collected 54 points last season in the Premier League and finished at the 7th spot in the league standings. It was a huge achievement for Sean Dyche’s troops as they finished just below the so-called ‘big six’ clubs of English football. They were surprisingly consistent throughout the season with the focus on team cohesion and well-drilled tactics and they must be proud of what they achieved.
However, Dyche has been static in the ongoing transfer window as no new faces have been introduced at the Turf Moor. With the summer transfer window set to shut down on 9th August, Burnley are likely to make a move before long now. As per one of the latest reports by Daily Star, Dyche is believed to be interested to make Swansea City’s central defender Alfie Mawson sign on the dotted line.
Mawson emerged through the youth ranks of Reading and Brentford. While he was on the books of the Bees, he was shipped out on loan to Maidenhead United, Luton Town, Welling United and Wycombe Wanderers and then, he switched to Barnsley on a permanent deal. In the summer of 2016, he moved to the ranks of Swansea City and has been an instrumental figure for them ever since.
Despite the fact that the Swans got demoted to the Championship last season, Mawson was one of the silver linings for the club. He started every league game for Swansea City and managed to score 2 goals and register 1 assist. Besides, he made 0.8 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 5.8 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game on an average. He has certainly proven his calibre in the top flight.
A calm and composed stopper, the 24-year-old is tall and physically strong enough to be commendable in the air. He is often seen carrying the ball out from the back with relative ease and this helps his side to initiate offensive moves from the back.
However, it wouldn’t be easy for the Clarets to prise him out of the Liberty Stadium as West Ham United and Fulham are also closely monitoring him. Due to his side’s relegation, he might be tempted to make a move to a Premier League side and apparently, there is no dearth of his admirers. At the moment, he is recovering from a knee surgery and Graham Potter has stated that the player would miss the start of the season.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored