"Could do something special" - Reaction given as Burnley FC perform transfer U-turn | OneFootball

Jóhann Berg Gudmundsson has come back to the Clarets, just 50 days after leaving.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Nearly two months after being released at the end of his contract, Burnley have re-signed one of their promotion heroes from the 2022/23 season.

It was announced that Jóhann Berg Gudmundsson's Turf Moor tenure would come to an end following the conclusion of his deal back in May. However, with pre-season friendlies just around the corner, the 33-year-old has now made a shock switch back to the Clarets.

The Icelandic midfielder first moved to Burnley after impressing with his national team at the Euros in July 2016, joining the Lancashire-based club from Charlton Athletic. Since then, he has made 227 appearances in all competitions for the team, scoring 14 goals while also picking up 30 assists.

Yet, it seemed that his time with Burnley had found a permanent ending, with Gudmundsson struggling for game-time under Vincent Kompany. But, with the Manchester City legend moving to Bayern Munich this summer, and the arrival of Scott Parker, it seems as though both parties believe that this story is not yet over.

Gudmundsson still has a lot to offer Burnley

Despite his age, Gudmundsson will still be able a viable option in the Championship. He played 26 times in the Premier League last season, but clocked in under 1,200 minutes - nearly 46 minutes per match.

FLW'sBurnley fan pundit, Ben Livingstone, believes that the club has made the right decision with the 33-year-old: "I think Gudmunsson coming back is a big signing and I think personally, I would have kept him and Jack Cork on.

"Obviously, I understand why they didn't sign with Kompany being here and them not getting much game time.

"We heard that Alan Pace met him on a flight and then re-convinced him to stay. I think he still has got a big part to play in the team for next season, so yeah, I'm happy with it."

Gudmundsson has signed a new one-year deal with Burnley, as the club look to make an instant impact in the Championship and return to the Premier League at the first time of asking in what could be an incredibly interesting year at Turf Moor, with a new managerial team.

A change of position may be in order for Gudmundsson

One issue that the former Charlton man faces is his age, and the knock-on effect of it. He perhaps does not have the pace that he once did, and will struggle on the wings, particularly against younger full-backs, but with his passing ability he could fit in just behind the striker.

Ben could see Gudmundsson reverting to a previous role he once held to help him become a key player in Parker's team next season, and perhaps take his career further than he previously thought it could go: "Whether he can still provide the goals and assists is the question.

"I thought he was fantastic when he played him in an attacking midfield position in the Championship under Kompany, but for me I think he's lost his pace a bit out wide, not that he was the fastest anyway.

"I think in the number 10 position he could really do something special this season for us, but again, there's a lot of wingers and competition, so I don't know how many minutes he’ll actually get."

Signing a new deal with Burnley is a good sign for Gudmundsson, and it is obvious that Parker wants him, but he may need to make sacrifices to fit in for the good of the rest of the team.