Burnley backed to sign ‘proven’ Leeds United ace if Zian Flemming leaves | OneFootball

FLW’s Burnley fan pundit has commented on who the Clarets should target if Zian Flemming leaves Turf Moor.

Burnley will be making preparations for their Championship return after suffering relegation from the Premier League.

The Clarets suffered a second straight immediate relegation from the big time, taking 22 points from their 38 league games and finishing in 19th place.

The Lancashire outfit will have been concerned at how long it was taking to appoint a new boss after Scott Parker departed the club before the end of their Premier League campaign, with Burnley originally failing in their pursuit to appoint Wales manager Craig Bellemy into the hotseat.

But now it looks like they’ve got their man in Nicky Hayen, who won the Belgian Pro League two seasons ago with Club Brugge and took the club to the Europa League Round of 16 this past campaign.

It will be intriguing to see how Hayen will get on in his role at Burnley, with massive expectation on his shoulders to deliver a promotion push while not having any previous experience of managing at second tier level.

One of the first major issues he’ll have to deal with is the potential exit of star player Zian Flemming, who was Burnley’s standout star in the Premier League last season, scoring 11 goals in his debut top-flight campaign from 29 appearances.

That has led to Brentford showing serious interest in securing the services of the 27-year-old, so Burnley will have to shortlist some forward targets who can make up for the Dutchman's absence.

With this in mind, FLW’s Burnley fan pundit has issued his thoughts on who the Clarets should be targeting to replace Flemming, should the Dutchman wave goodbye to Turf Moor.

Burnley backed to sign ‘proven’ Joel Piroe to replace Zian Flemming

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Speaking to Football League World, Burnley fan pundit Aaron Wright has told the Clarets to make a move for Joel Piroe to replace Zian Flemming this summer, believing the Leeds United forward is a ‘proven’ Championship marksman and would score enough goals to deliver a promotion push.

Aaron told FLW: “For me, Joel Piroe. 179 games and a ridiculous number of goals.

“It’s one in three, well more than one in three to hit 19 goals. If you can get another goalscorer round him, even 12 or 13, if you get two round him, you’ll be right up there in the league.

“There’s a particular team down the road who know only having one goalscorer that can get that number can still leave you in trouble, but I believe he could come in for about £10m, and just get the goals we should score.

“We don’t need a striker who can score from 35 yards out. I believe we have players who can do that, but we need someone who can score the goals you should score between the six-yard box or the edge of the box, job sorted, and Joel Piroe is that player.

“I will admit I didn’t see a lot of him at Swansea, but from what I saw keeping a close eye on him during the title race at Leeds, he did exactly that. He scored the goals you expect him to score, a good percentage of the time, he outperforms his xG most years, and it just seems like a nailed-on one.

“It’s rare Burnley go for a proven player and that feels as safe as an option for a good amount of money as you can get. He’s not playing at Leeds. I doubt he will play at Leeds with Nmecha and DCL and I think Joel Piroe should be high up on the list.

“It feels like the same idea that Wolves did for Adam Armstrong. Somebody proven at this level, make sure he’s proven and then go from there to see if he can be effective, should the best happen, so for me, Joel Piroe.”

Joel Piroe can get back to his best through Burnley move

In an ideal world, Burnley will want to keep hold of Zian Flemming ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, but after a stelling opening term in the Premier League, it may be very difficult for the Clarets to wave away interest in their star forward.

Therefore, they will have to plan for an exit, and targeting someone of Joel Piroe’s quality at Championship level could be the exact replacement they need.

With Leeds staying in the Premier League for a second season and Piroe featuring just 16 times last season anyway, you’d think he’d be surplus to requirements at Elland Road, with the Whites aiming to bolster their forward line to ensure they become an established top-flight outfit once again.

For Burnley, they need a proven Championship goalscorer who can provide enough ammunition to get the club towards the top end of the table, and with Piroe scoring 73 times from 179 second tier appearances, he’s definitely a player who has shown he knows where the back of the net is at that level.

It seems like a move that would work out for all parties too, with Leeds interested in moving him on, Piroe needing a new home to reignite his career and help him get confidence back in his game, while Burnley require some added firepower at the top end of the pitch to achieve their aims of getting back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

It will be fascinating to see if this deal will progress later into the summer transfer window, with many second tier outfits bound to be interested in having such a reliable Championship marksman on their books for next season.