Burnley join Sheffield United and Stoke City in race for Leeds United-owned player | OneFootball

Burnley are the third named Championship side to enter the race to recruit Leeds United midfielder Stuart McKinstry, according to a report from Football Insider.

The 20-year-old is currently out on loan at Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell, scoring two goals and recording one assist in nine league appearances so far this season.

He is set to spend the whole season at Fir Park but with his contract at his current club running out at the end of the campaign, Leeds are intending to enter negotiations with the young midfielder regarding a potential extension.

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However, they may face a fight in their quest to keep hold of him though, with the Clarets reported to be the latest side in the race, with Vincent Kompany seemingly on the prowl for more young players to develop.

They aren’t the only second-tier outfit keeping tabs on the 20-year-old at this point though, with Sheffield United and Stoke City also thought to be taking a closer look at him as they potentially prepare to take him off the Whites’ hands for free at the end of the campaign.

His contract expires then – and it’s currently unclear whether the Scotland youth international is willing to put pen to paper on a new deal with the player making just two competitive appearances for the West Yorkshire side at a senior level.

The Verdict:

This is a move that could make sense considering the fact Kompany seems keen on purchasing young gems before building them up – and it could end up being a switch that suits both the Clarets and the player.

The 20-year-old will be desperate to get as much game time under his belt as possible and he could potentially get that in Lancashire if he performs well north of the border this season.

A move closer to Scotland may be a key factor in luring him to Turf Moor, so it may not be a hugely difficult deal to do if he doesn’t sign a deal with Leeds because they probably have more funds to spend than the likes of Sheffield United and Stoke.

This will enable the Clarets to offer him a more attractive financial package – but McKinstry does need to make sure he will be getting game time because there are some top-quality players at Burnley at the moment.

They may have been relegated and lost some of their previous key assets – but others like Manuel Benson and Anass Zaroury have stepped up to the plate admirably since joining in the summer.