Burnley star to leave for £0 in 2027 - Millwall & QPR must be ready | OneFootball

Josh Laurent is set to leave Burnley at the end of his contract next summer, as Millwall and QPR must be watching closely

Burnley are mired in a cloud of uncertainty at the moment, and whilst the three-week international break will have allowed the Clarets to momentarily catch their breath, there remain numerous issues for the club to address sooner rather than later, especially regarding contracts with current members of their squad.

Heading into the first international break of the season, Burnley sit rock-bottom of the Championship table, winning none, drawing four, and losing four in their opening eight games, whilst also being dumped out of the League Cup to Bradford City.

Following relegation from the Premier League recently, it's not the start to life back in the second tier they would have imagined, and though Nicky Hayen will be given more time to turn things around at Turf Moor, there are issues off the pitch that must be addressed sooner rather than later as well.

Each of Jordan Beyer, Hjalmar Ekdal, Josh Cullen, Connor Roberts, Kyle Walker, Jamie Vardy, Michael Obafemi, Ben Amos, Ashley Barnes, and Josh Laurent is out of contract at the end of the season, with no new deals yet in sight for any of them.

Why Championship clubs should be interested in signing Burnley's Josh Laurent on a free transfer in 2027

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Laurent, 31, came through the ranks of Queens Park Rangers and Brentford before going on to have spells with the likes of Newport County, Hartlepool United, Wigan Athletic, Bury, Shrewsbury Town, Reading, and Stoke City before joining Burnley in the summer of 2024.

Having played in all three EFL divisions, Laurent would play a key role under Scott Parker in helping Burnley achieve promotion to the Premier League in his first year at the club, and has now played in all four of England's top divisions.

The energetic and durable midfielder has remained a consistent presence in the heart of midfield at Turf Moor since Hayen took charge in the summer, but as of this moment, his contract with Burnley is due to expire in the summer, as Football League World takes a look at two Championship clubs that ought to be interested in his services on a free transfer in 2027.

Millwall

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Millwall narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League for the first time last campaign, falling one point short of Ipswich Town in 2nd, and ultimately losing out to Hull City in the play-offs.

The Lions, under Alex Neil, have consistently challenged for a place in the top six across the past few seasons, and though injuries have disrupted things at The Den in the early stages of this season, one would be a fool to rule them out of the hunt for promotion just yet.

Millwall can boast the likes of Casper De Norre, Mathis Servais, Jenson Metcalfe, Derek Mazou-Sacko, and Daniel Kelly as options in the middle of the park, with only De Norre being over the age of 23 out of those options.

However, the Belgian himself is out of contract at the end of the season, and may well leave, as Neil could do with an experienced alternative to replace him.

Having worked with Laurent during their time together with Stoke, Neil knows exactly what the 31-year-old is about, what to expect of him, and what to demand from him, with their previous working relationship likely doing a lot of the heavy lifting in negotiations.

The opportunity to return to London at this stage in his career would surely be another attractive proposition for Laurent, and regardless of what division Millwall are playing in, Laurent is more than capable of playing a starring role in the middle of the park, and on a free transfer, would be an extremely savvy pickup.

Queens Park Rangers

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QPR, like Millwall, will have ambitions of achieving a top eight finish this campaign, and having won three, drawn four, and lost just one of their opening eight Championship games this season, have had an excellent start to the season.

Julien Stephan has some brilliant options to pick from in the middle of the park, with each of Glenn Kamara, Nicolas Madsen, and Jonathan Varane at his disposal, whilst Harvey Vale can also play in the deeper midfield role if required.

However, Varane has been the subject of interest from the likes of Saint-Étienne in recent windows, and Kamara is only on loan, as the R's are not certain to be with either come 2027.

In the event of their departures, at least one alternative ought to be lined up, and having come through the club's youth system as a youngster, QPR should look to reunite with Laurent after all these years.

The midfielder will be incredibly familiar with the area and the club, and will take little time to adapt to life back at Loftus Road, despite never having made a professional appearance in West London.

With ample experience playing in all four of England's top divisions, Laurent would provide an excellent pedigree, leadership, and a know-how that the R's currently lack, and on a free transfer, the 31-year-old ought to be a no-brainer.