In a recent twitter poll, posted by Samuel Collins, 53 Burnley fans voted on what area of the squad the club must strengthen in this summer, 54.7% chose wide midfield. So, with that being said, here are three payers who would suit donning the claret and blue next season.

  • Ryan Fraser

So this one is what most fans would call a 'punt', Ryan Fraser is possibly out of Burnley's reach, but that doesn't mean the fans can't wish for it to happen. The Scotsman, who is wanted by Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Newcastle has scored 24 and assisted 33 in 208 Bournemouth appearances. 

Fraser would offer The Claret's a new dynamic due to his differences to Burnley's left sided man Dwight McNeil. It's no secret McNeil is on the slower side and he also isn't a big goal threat, where as Fraser is known for blistering pace and can score more goals. Of course you would lose McNeil's crossing ability but Burnley managed just fine with Jay Rodriguez and Matej Vydra upfront post-COVID19, two strikers who aren't exactly suited to a style of play loaded with crossing. 

McNeil wouldn't have to be pushed out either, against Palace, when the squad was depleted, fans saw McNeil play through the middle. It was refreshing and showed them that the English youngster has more to his game. He was quite clearly the main man when it came to the transitioning from defence to attack in that fixture and he could easily do it more often, driving deep from midfield or looking for that killer through ball to break defences. 

Obviously the biggest reason this transfer wouldn't go through is Fraser himself, he will probably be looking at 'bigger' clubs and will demand a wage fee Burnley just couldn't give him. The likelihood of this transfer happening is slim, but boy it would be exciting. 

  •  Niclas Eliasson

Now this transfer is much more likely, the Bristol City winger is also a left sided player but would become a squad player more than a first team starter straight away. If Sean Dyche is planning to let McNeil go for big money than Niclas Eliasson would be perfect to bring in. Even if that isn't the plan more strength and depth is needed in this position so Burnley could sign him anyway. 

In 40 appearances for The Robins this season he has netted three times and assisted 14. However, 19 of these appearances were made from coming off the bench , making those stats look better than at first glance. The Swede would be great competition for both McNeil and Robbie Brady and would benefit from working alongside these two.

Eliasson wouldn't come in to the squad and make changes straight away but at a good age, 24, he could grow under the solid coaching and mentoring Dyche and his staff offer. With lower wage expectations and a fee ranging from £4-£8m, this would suit the Burnley board and their light spending. 

It may take while for a lot of Burnley fans to warm to the idea of this signing but Burnley have a good record of buying form the Championship, with the likes of James Tarkowski, Nick Pope and Chris Wood all now Premier League regulars.  

  •  Matthew Cash

This one is obvious. Any club outside the traditional top-six would love a Matty Cash in their side but Burnley could need him a lot more than people think. Versatile, young, English and already a great talent there's not much Cash doesn't offer. If needed Cash can play at right-back, where he has played at Nottingham Forest, but at Burnley he would suit at right midfield.

So why do Burnley need Cash so much? Well, ever since Johann Berg Gudmundsson got his long-term injury, Jeff Hendrick was pushed out on the right. Traditionally a central midfielder Hendrick's role on the right was heavily overshadowed. By being more defensive it allowed McNeil further forward releasing him of defensive burdens. 

Therefore, if Dyche plans to keep McNeil than he should be looking no further than Cash, his time as a defender for Forest will give him a huge advantage when it comes to playing as a more defensive winger for Burnley, allowing McNeil to continue to feed the strikers and lead Burnley in the attacking phases of play.

The only problem with Cash, is cash, Burnley will have to spend a good amount of it in order to prize the 22-year-old from Forest. However, fans have been crying out for more money to be spent and even Dyche as voiced his frustrations numerous times so, if you gave Burnley one bit of business this window that used most of their budget, a lot of them would happily accept Matty Cash. 

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