Burnley snubbed Wolves' £25m as transfer regret must linger | OneFootball

Burnley once rejected a £25m bid from Wolverhampton Wanderers for Luca Koleosho in a decision they must now regret

Burnley's summer is yet to really get going following relegation from the Premier League last season, as decisions surrounding personnel are actively being made; one transfer decision they must still regret to this day must linger.

Though the summer transfer window has been open for nearly a few weeks at this point, things are yet to click into gear at any of the relegated Premier League sides, including Burnley.

The Clarets have been working tirelessly to appoint a new permanent head coach following the departure of Scott Parker following the confirmation of relegation, with Wales men's national team boss Craig Bellamy coming closest to taking the post before that deal broke down.

Now, Genk boss Nicky Hayen has emerged as the frontrunner for the position, as Burnley hope to get their new boss wrapped up sooner rather than later so summer business can officially begin.

Martin Dubravka has left the club to join Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer, Quilindschy Hartman has joined Espanyol on a one-year loan deal, and Jaidon Anthony has joined Brentford for a potential £20 million.

That money will go some way to help fund the rebuild at Turf Moor this summer, but may also serve as an unwelcome reminder of a transfer blunder they made regarding one of their players just two years ago.

Burnley turned down a £25 million deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers for Italian winger Luca Koleosho in 2024

Action images

Heading into next season, as Burnley prepare for pre-season, the Clarets have quite a big squad to select from, and you would imagine numerous exits will be on the horizon sooner rather than later.

The likes of Oliver Sonne, Jaydon Banel, Andreas Hountondji, Michael Obafemi, Aaron Ramsey, Shurandy Sambo, Oluwaseun Adewumi, and Luca Koleosho are all returning to Lancashire following loan spells elsewhere, as the incoming head coach, expected to be Hayen, will have to assess each one of these carefully before making a final decision on their futures.

Koleosho, 21, in particular, showed ample promise just a few years ago after joining from Espanyol in a £2.6 million deal as an 18-year-old, being thrust into the first team at Turf Moor under Vincent Kompany.

He would make 15 top-flight appearances in his maiden year at the club, scoring one and assisting twice, and following Burnley's relegation, it was hoped that the Italian, who is also eligible to represent the United States, Canada, and Nigeria as well, would take the Championship by storm, though interest in his services was high.

In the summer of 2024, Wolverhampton Wanderers submitted a £25 million bid for the winger, which Burnley deemed to be a non-negotiable offer, as per Belgian journalist Sacha Talovieri, with the Clarets looking for much more to part ways with the then-19-year-old.

As it happened, Koleosho would stick around at Turf Moor in the second tier, this time under Scott Parker, but with just two goals and no assists in 28 league appearances, the Italian failed to hit the heights many had expected of him.

A return to Espanyol on loan in the summer of 2025 yielded just three league appearances, before being sent out on loan once again in January 2026 to Paris FC, with whom he would make 16 appearances, primarily as a substitute, scoring three and assisting once.

Under contract until the summer of 2029 in Lancashire, Burnley won't be forced to make any hasty decisions regarding Koleosho's future just yet, although it goes without saying that they won't be recouping anywhere close to the £25 million fee they rejected two years ago this summer.

Whether the winger's immediate future lies at Turf Moor or not remains to be seen, but with his development having drastically stalled, it would take an incredible season next time around for Burnley to see his value reach where it once was, as they must surely regret not entering negotiations with Wolves when they had the chance.

Action Images

With Dubravka, Hartman, and Anthony already out the door, followed by Vaclav Hladky, Axel Tuanzebe, and Ashley Barnes, Burnley's squad is already looking lighter, though business surely isn't done just yet.

According to ViolaNews, Fiorentina were reportedly interested in a deal for Koleosho just a few weeks ago, though no formal offer has been reported as yet.

In any case, it seems as though his time in Lancashire is over, though Burnley won't be receiving anywhere close to the fee they were once offered for his services, in a decision that must haunt them to this day.