Why Burnley should sign Patrick Roberts from Manchester City
According to a report in Sun Football, Manchester City academy product Patrick Roberts could leave the club. He is a highly-rated rookie who is currently plying his trade on loan from City at sister club Girona in La Liga.
The 21-year-old is tipped to become a star in the upcoming years but hasn’t made a senior start at the Etihad Stadium despite two good loan years at Celtic.
Roberts played for the Hoops last season and even scored against the Cityzens in a Champions League game in 2016. He is contracted at Manchester until the summer of 2020, however, with no breakthrough, the youngster would be looking for a permanent move elsewhere at the end of this season. (Sun Football)
If the player does intend to leave, there are a few Premier League clubs who should take interest in signing him. Here’s why Burnley must sign the Englishman in the next summer transfer window:
Burnley need players in the wide attacking areas
After a rather dream season last time around, reality seems to have struck Burnley this season. Sean Dyche’s men are struggling to put a collective performance and win games at a decent rate. As a result, they are lying way below at 19th place in the table with nine points from 14 games.
The Clarets have four strikers in their squad, who are pretty good in the box if crosses come in on a regular basis. But the wide attacking players have failed to provide the service expected of them.
Hence, it is imperative from the club’s viewpoint that they sign a new winger who is bold on the ball, can put crosses in and also contribute to the goals column. Patrick Roberts can be that player for the Turf Moor outfit.
The 21-year-old is predominantly a right winger who possesses raw pace, can dribble past defenders in a flash, can cross the ball with quality and doesn’t shy away from shooting if the opportunity arises.
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He could be an ideal player for Dyche’s 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 system and perhaps perfect to replace veteran Aaron Lennon on the right wing. Roberts is still young and would relish the prospect of playing under a manager who has a rigid style of play.