Burnley should make loan move for out-of-favour Ipswich Town winger
After their relegation from the Premier League once again, Burnley find themselves eyeing up a quick return to the top flight of English football, and are in fourth position in the Championship coming out of the November international break.
Although this may look fairly impressive to the naked eye, the Clarets have an underlying issue with a lack of chance creation, and a fix may be needed in January to make sure Scott Parker’s Clarets do not experience a drop-off in form.
If Burnley do consider loan options as part of their January transfer targets, then they may wish to look no further than out-of-favour Ipswich Town winger Nathan Broadhead.
The Wales international is yet to feature for the Tractor Boys in the Premier League this season, and may be unsettled by his lack of game-time, with plenty of competition for minutes under Kieran McKenna.
Known for his creativity and flair, Broadhead could be a possible solution to the lack of ambition shown by Parker’s forwards this season. There is only so long the club can go before their goals begin to dry up, so it might be best to look for new attacking options sooner rather than later.
Burnley FC issues with chance creation and goalscoring are clear to see
Despite sitting fourth in the table and having conceded only six goals all season, Burnley have a serious underlying problem. Their attack has been incredibly poor.
Burnley rank 21st in the league for xG, having amassed a pitiful total of 14.9 thus far – only 0.8 more than bottom of the table Queens Park Rangers.
They are also 21st for big chances created with 21, and 17th for shots on target per match, having generated just 3.5 per 90 minutes – not exactly befitting of a side with parachute payments and having brought in some big-name additions over the summer.
All of Burnley’s team statistics point towards one issue, which is that their ability to create scoring opportunities is distinctly sub-par. Jaidon Anthony in particular has been one of the team’s most disappointing players in-front of goal, having joined on loan from AFC Bournemouth.
Luca Koleosho has been no better either in terms of his creative stats, being dispossessed at least two times per 90 minutes and registering an xG of 0.07 per game – much more was expected from the young forward dropping into the Championship, but he’s struggled to make a consistent impact.
Burnley evidently have issues on both flanks, and a response is needed quickly – signing one of the most technical and exciting wingers from last year’s Championship campaign therefore could be the answer.
Nathan Broadhead could solve Burnley FC’s creative issues
Although not the most impressive in terms of raw assist numbers, Broadhead’s output in chance creation and, in particular, dribbling demonstrate his ability to be a team’s outlet.
Deployed as a wide creator by Kieran McKenna, the Welshman had a profound impact on the Suffolk outfit’s promotion campaign. But, with new signings and an injury prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, Broadhead has found it impossible to break into Ipswich’s Premier League side that has been impressing without winning too much.
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