Sunderland know they’ve dodged £10m Burnley transfer bullet after shock Turf Moor update | OneFootball

Sunderland came close to signing Marcus Edwards before the winger opted to join Burnley, and must be relieved after recent news

Burnley left eight senior players out of their 25-man squad list for the Championship campaign, including the notable absences of the likes of Mike Tresor, Bashir Humphreys and Marcus Edwards, as Sunderland will be relieved that their past transfer swoop for the latter never materialised.

Burnley's 1-1 draw away to Wrexham on Tuesday night means the Clarets have now gone six games without a win upon their return to the Championship, with Belgian head coach Nicky Hayen under serious pressure to turn things around ASAP.

With the likes of Jaidon Anthony, Maxime Esteve, Loum Tchaouna, Zian Flemming, and Florentino having left the club over the summer, replacing their output was always going to be a tough task for the Belgian.

And tough it has so far proven to have been, as Hayen has since left out some notable players from his side's recent Championship squad submission list, with some shocking names omitted, including Edwards.

Marcus Edwards has been left out of Burnley's 25-man Championship squad

Action images

Burnley's 25-man squad submission list lacked the notable inclusions of Tresor, Humphreys, and Edwards, despite all three having all played in the Championship this campaign under Hayen.

Alongside them were also the likes of Michael Obafemi, Jordan Beyer, Shurandy Sambo, Ashley Barnes, and Ben Amos, the latter two of whom were signed only this summer.

Edwards' omission is arguably the biggest out of the bunch, though, with the winger having been a regular at Turf Moor ever since joining from Sporting CP on loan in January 2025, before that switch became permanent last summer for around £9.4 million (€11 million).

However, with just three goals and seven assists in 47 games across all competitions for the club since his arrival, Edwards has often flattered to deceive, and whilst his exclusion is a shock, it may well prove not to be that big of a miss, as head coach Hayen has offered a brief explanation regarding his decision.

Why Nicky Hayen has omitted Marcus Edwards from Burnley's squad

Action Images

When asked about Edwards' omission, as well as his other teammates, following their home defeat to Bristol City, Hayen said: "We're just looking for the 25-man squad."

It has since been confirmed that the English winger has been left out of the squad entirely, with Burnley having selected just 24 players in their 25-man roster, leaving a gap open for a potential free agent.

Jamie Vardy joined the club as a free agent recently following his release from Italian side Cremonese in the summer, with the 39-year-old preferred over the former Sporting CP winger in the squad.

It's a damning state of affairs that doesn't reflect particularly well on the 27-year-old, as Premier League outfit Sunderland will be breathing a sigh of relief after learning the news of recent events.

Sunderland tried to sign Marcus Edwards before Burnley swooped in

Action images

Before his move to Burnley in late January 2025, then-division rivals Sunderland attempted to bring the winger to Wearside, with Regis Le Bris looking to bolster his side's attacking options for the latter stages of the campaign.

However, a move never materialised, as Edwards would head to Burnley instead, where, whilst he helped the club back to the Premier League with one goal and one assist in 14 league appearances, Sunderland undoubtedly had a better sequence of circumstances following the transfer decision.

The Black Cats would instead sign Jayden Danns on loan from Liverpool, though the England youth international failed to make a single appearance for the club after suffering an injury shortly after his arrival.

Edwards, unless he can find a move elsewhere in the next three months, won't be playing another competitive game until at least January, as Sunderland certainly won't be ruing missing out on this deal.

Sunderland must be relieved after missing out on Marcus Edwards amid recent omission

Action images

Had Sunderland signed Edwards, maybe his career trajectory would have panned out differently, and maybe he would be a regular for the club in the Premier League under the mentorship of Le Bris.

However, that is purely speculative, and as fact would have it, Edwards has been omitted from Burnley's squad for this campaign, as the 27-year-old's career has taken a nosedive.

Burnley will be frustrated, and Sunderland will be relieved, as the Black Cats will have few regrets regarding this transfer saga.