Why Sam Clucas would be an excellent signing for Burnley

As per reports, Burnley are interested in signing Swansea City midfielder Sam Clucas for £12m this summer. Clucas had an unhappy season at Swansea after joining from Hull City last summer. He made 29 Premier League appearances last season as Swansea succumbed to relegation after seven years in the top-flight.

Sean Dyche wants to add options to his squad and has the 27-year-old as a target. Dyche is reportedly a long-term admirer of the Lincoln-born midfielder and wants to sign him in the summer to beef up his squad before the European adventure.

Burnley punched above their weights last season, finishing a surprise 7th in the table ahead of the likes of high-spending Everton, West Ham and Leicester City.

After finishing seventh, the Clarets will begin their Europa League campaign next week as they head to Aberdeen for the second qualifying round first-leg before welcoming the Scottish club a week later at Turf Moor.

With Dyche keen to make a mark in Europe as well as improve in the Premier League next term, the Clarets need to make some quality signings before the transfer window closes in three weeks’ time. And signing Clucas would certainly help Burnley achieve what they want next season.

A versatile, hard-working and intelligent midfielder, Clucas never really fit in at Swansea before Carlos Carvalhal took charge and oversaw a turnaround.

Carvalhal failed to keep the Swans in the Premier League but Clucas blossomed under him and gave a glimpse of his real quality with his two goals in the club’s 3-1 win over Arsenal at Liberty Stadium the highlight last season.

The 27-year-old impressed at Chesterfield, Dyche’s old club, which really saw his career take off before Hull City signed him. He spent three really good seasons with Hull City but their relegation to the Championship in the 2016-17 campaign saw him get snapped up by Swansea City.

In his debut season with Hull, Clucas played as a left-winger before he got converted into a central midfielder.

Should Burnley sign Clucas, Dyche would get a versatile player in his ranks, capable of playing in central midfield, on the left and right-midfield and also as a No.10.

The 27-year-old is comfortable on the ball, agile, creative and has a good passing range that links up play. He has the ability to make everything look very simple in crowded areas.

Clucas has gone from the Conference to League Two to League One to the Championship and then to the Premier League. That’s a meteoric rise for a player who was rejected by his hometown club Lincoln City. He is undeniably a player of Premier League quality and Dyche must act swiftly to get him on board.