"Be stupid not to" - Burnley urged to beat Leeds United to Coventry City star | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Burnley are interested in signing Coventry City star Callum O'Hare on a free transfer this summer, alongside fellow Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds United, per TEAMtalk.

The Clarets are determined to make their stay in the second tier merely a passing visit, with ambitions of an instant return to the Premier League being harboured by owner Alan Pace, and indeed their loyal supporters.

Burnley are wasting no time putting together their coaching team for whichever new boss takes charge in the Turf Moor dugout, with reports from Swedish outlet Expressen claiming that Kalmar FF manager Henrik Jensen is set to be appointed as the new assistant manager at the club.

O'Hare is one of the hottest names set to hit the free agent market in the Championship this summer, so Football League World takes a look at how O'Hare's signing might be viewed by Clarets supporters.

Burnley fan pundit: 'a top player'

Speaking with Football League World, our Burnley fan pundit Ben Livingstone believes that the capture of O'Hare this summer would be a fantastic move by the football club.

Ben said: "I think on a free, Callum O'Hare would be one of the best pieces of business you could get in the Championship this season.

"I'm really expecting him to go to a lower-half Premier League team to be honest, I think he's a top, top player at this level.

"So of course, if he doesn't go to the Premier League, I think we'd be one of the most attractive teams that he could sign for. We'd be stupid not to get him for a start, on a free as well.

"When you look at last time we were in the Championship, Kompany was trying to spend £10m on him. So, it just shows how highly-rated he is, not the biggest goalscorer, which could be a bit of a worry, but gets a few assists and his all-round game is good.

"You saw in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, he had a great game. So, I think on a free it would be a crazy signing to get in, whether he'd fit into the team with whatever manager we get, or if there would be space for him if we don't get rid of some of the other players.

"But you look at if you get £15-20m for Zeki Amdouni, Mike Tresor, get rid of Scott Twine for a couple of million and get him in on a free, you've done a bit of a blinder there really."

O'Hare would be very shrewd business

Returning from a serious knee injury that robbed him of almost all of the 2022/23 season, O'Hare once again proved how much he can offer at Championship level last season.

The former Aston Villa academy graduate played 31 times for the Sky Blues in the second tier last season, scoring six times whilst adding a further three assists to his name.

His impressive form wasn't limited to league action either, as his four goals and one assist ensured he would play a key role in Coventry City's heroic FA Cup run last year.

As an indicator of how pivotal a role the 26-year-old plays in Mark Robin's side, his 41.2 successful passes per 90 minutes in the league last season was only bettered by 4.2% of Championship players in his position.

Whilst his 38.9% cross accuracy per 90 and 86.3% passing accuracy per 90 in the 2023/24 season were only bettered by 1.4% and 8.5% of second tier players in his position respectively, per FotMob.

Therefore, should Burnley win his signature, it should be viewed as a fantastic piece of business by Burnley, and should he stay fit, O'Hare will likely play a leading role in their Premier League promotion next season.