Burnley FC told be more "ambitious" amid Ipswich Town transfer interest | OneFootball

FLW's Burnley fan pundit has given his reaction to reports linking the club with a move for Ipswich Town striker George Hirst.

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 preparing for life back in the Premier League after securing automatic promotion from the Championship.

Burnley's instant return to the top flight was only confirmed after a 2-1 win over Sheffield United on Easter Monday, but it seems they are wasting no time in identifying transfer targets ahead of the summer window.

According to Football Insider, the Clarets and fellow promoted side Leeds United are both keeping tabs on Ipswich Town striker George Hirst, but it could be tough for them to land his signature as the Suffolk outfit are keen to tie him down to a new contract, despite suffering relegation to the Championship.

Hirst initially joined the Tractor Boys on loan from Leicester City in January 2023 before making the move permanent that summer for a fee in the region of £1.5 million, and he was a key part of the side that won back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.

The 26-year-old has found his game time limited this season due to the form of Liam Delap, but he has still managed to score four goals and provide two assists in 25 appearances in all competitions, and it appears his lack of minutes has not deterred other clubs from taking an interest in him.

Burnley warned against George Hirst, Ipswich Town transfer swoop

When asked for his thoughts on the potential signing of Hirst, FLW's Burnley fan pundit Will Lancaster admitted he would be underwhelmed if the striker arrived at Turf Moor, and he urged the Clarets to be more ambitious in the transfer market this summer.

"It's not a signing that would really fill me with confidence, to be honest," Will said.

"Obviously, he's played second string to Liam Delap this season.

"But looking at his goal record throughout his years in the Championship, you've got a goalless season from 31 games with Rotherham in 2020-21, zero down the road at Blackburn in nine games in 2022-23, and only seven last year from 26 games with Ipswich.

"That's obviously a marked improvement, but all those seasons are in the Championship, and you really need someone with at least a bit of experience to drag you over the line.

"Two goals in 17 games this season isn't exactly world-beating form, despite being second choice to Liam Delap.

"We've got Lyle Foster, who got five last season, Zian Flemming, who has obviously been a top Championship marksman for the last few years and really deserves his place, and I don't think Hirst would really add to that.

"I'd be looking for something a lot more ambitious really.

"Obviously, if we came down again next summer, and he was on the market, that would be something that I'd maybe look into.

"You've got to remember that he's relatively young as well, 26 is not ancient, he's still coming into his peak, but it's not really a signing that fills me with confidence at all really, to be honest."

Burnley should set their sights higher than George Hirst in striker search

Burnley may have found their shooting boots in the latter stages of the season to secure promotion, but scoring goals was a problem for Scott Parker's side for large spells of the campaign, and those issues could resurface in the Premier League next term.

Josh Brownhill and Zian Flemming are among the Clarets' top scorers this season, but the former is yet to sign a new contract at Turf Moor, and there are question marks over whether the latter will be as effective in the top flight, underlining the need for attacking reinforcements this summer.

Hirst has been an important part of Ipswich's recent success, but as Will says, he has not been a particularly prolific scorer at any level during his career, so it would be a huge gamble for the Clarets to rely on him to score the goals needed to keep them in the Premier League next season.