Burnley in talks to sign Stoke City midfielder | OneFootball

Burnley are reportedly interested in signing Stoke City midfielder Josh Laurent.

Burnley are reportedly in talks with Stoke City over the signing of midfielder Josh Laurent.

That's according to The Athletic, who claim that discussions are underway between the two clubs over a potential deal for Laurent after the Clarets made an approach.

Laurent has been a key player for the Potters since joining the club from Reading in the summer of 2022, and he captained the team last season before handing over the armband to new signing Ben Gibson this summer.

The 29-year-old was the subject of a £500,000 bid from Turkish side Sivasspor earlier in the window, but the move did not materialise, while he was also said to be on the radar of ambitious League One side Birmingham City.

Laurent is in the final year of his contract at the bet365 Stadium, and with Stoke reportedly "fielding interest" in his services, it seems he could now be set to make the move to Turf Moor.

Burnley in discussions over Josh Laurent deal

Despite strong speculation over his future during the summer, Laurent has started all of Stoke's first three league games this season, and head coach Steven Schumacher revealed he is keen to keep hold of the midfielder.

"That’s never been any different. I had a conversation with Josh in pre-season and said he’d played every game for me last season when he was available. It shows that I rate him as a player. He brings something to this team. His physical attributes when he’s on it, he’s a really powerful player. When he’s at his best he’s one of the best in the division," Schumacher told Stoke-on-Trent Live earlier this month.

"I said to him that I understood there would be interest for him and that he might need more security or whatever but I asked him to focus on his training, get himself really fit in pre-season and see how the season goes and how the transfer window goes. But as of yet he’s happy here, I don’t think he wants to leave.

"Whether we can give him that security moving forwards will be over to him and how he plays and whether we feel it’s the right avenue for us to go down. But as of now he’s playing in the team and doing really well and I want that to continue."

However, Laurent looks likely to depart the Potteries, and his potential arrival would be a big boost to Burnley given that their squad has been significantly depleted in the last two weeks, with Wilson Odobert, Scott Twine, Sander Berge, Anass Zaroury, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Dara O'Shea and Ameen Al-Dakhil all leaving the club.

There could be plenty more exits before Friday's transfer deadline as a host of players continue to be linked with a move away, including James Trafford, Vitinho, Josh Brownhill, Han-Noah Massengo, Mike Tresor, Luca Koleosho, Zeki Amdouni, Lyle Foster and Wout Weghorst, so it is essential that head coach Scott Parker is able to bring in new additions to strengthen his squad.

Josh Laurent would be a sensible signing for Burnley

Laurent would be a good addition for Burnley, and Clarets supporters will be hoping that the club can get the deal over the line.

The midfielder has been a consistent performer in the Championship for Reading and Stoke over the years, and having captained the Potters last season, he will bring experience and leadership qualities to the dressing room, as well as bolstering Parker's midfield options after the departures of Berge and Gudmundsson.

Amid understandable concerns from supporters over the mass exodus taking place at Turf Moor, the Clarets are becoming active in the transfer market, with Hannibal Mejbri signing from Manchester United for a fee of £5.4 million, which could potentially rise to £9.4 million, while they are closing in on the additions of Brighton's Jeremy Sarmiento and Bournemouth's Jaidon Anthony.

With Burnley opening discussions over a deal for Laurent and submitting an offer for Plymouth Argyle's Morgan Whittaker, their squad could be in a stronger state than many had expected by the end of the window, but they must avoid too many damaging departures.