Josh Brownhill reveals one key condition for Burnley contract renewal | OneFootball

The Clarets’ captain could depart on a free this summer if new terms aren’t agreed

Josh Brownhill has revealed Burnley’s promotion success will play in any upcoming contract renewal.

The midfielder arrived at Turf Moor from Bristol City in 2020 for a hefty £9 million fee in 2020 but has proved worth every penny in the intervening years.

He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract that January, with Burnley opting to exercise the one-year option in his contract at the end of last season.

But the Clarets captain has now revealed his decision has not yet been made, and it rests partly on one key condition.

Promotion crucial for Brownhill renewal

The 29-year-old has hinted that whether Burnley are promoted back into the Premier League at the end of this season will play a role in his final decision.

Speaking to the Burnley Express, Brownhill said: “It's an important season for us all and we've got one goal: to get promoted out of this league and that's my full focus.

“After that, we'll decide.

“It's not just that factor [winning promotion], there's a lot of other things that go into it. But yes, our goal is to get promoted and we'll sort it from there.”

Josh Brownhill already attracting interest from elsewhere

Other clubs are already beginning to circle with Brownhill’s well-trailed upcoming contract issue.

And such interest is not only coming from English clubs, with Scottish sides Rangers and Celtic reportedly joining Italian outfits Fiorentina and Lazio in the race in recent months, should Burnley fail to reach a new agreement.

Certainly, with a club like Celtic, who are currently 16 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership, the offer of Champions League football is likely to be on the table for Brownhill.

Whatever happens, there’s sure to be a lot for the midfielder to think about as the end of his contract nears.

Burnley could still face uphill battle even with promotion

Brownhill will enter his 30s at the end of this year and, with his contract situation how it is, and clubs likely to have European football knocking on the door, it may be the best chance he has to test himself on that stage.

A chance of any level of European football, even with a promotion, would be an extremely remote for Burnley, whose goal will simply be to re-establish themselves as a Premier League side and avoid relegation, should they manage the jump.

But Brownhill’s affection for the club will, of course, play a role.

“It’s a special place,” he told the Burnley Express. “I've been here five-and-a-half years and I've loved every minute of it. Everybody makes you feel welcome and loved.

“It's not just the players, it's the staff and the people around the training ground as well that I've got a really good bond with.”

Connections like that can play a huge role in where a player decides to commit their future – at Brownhill’s age, a player will begin to have their legacy in the back of their mind. His will be strong at Turf Moor whatever happens, but keeping the Clarets in the Premier League next season would elevate his standing even higher.