If Burnley seal Rangers deal, it could actually affect Anass Zaroury - Here is why: Opinion | OneFootball

Their stay in the Championship has been very brief, and many will be glad to see the back of Burnley after they dominated most of the division this season.

The Clarets will round off their successful 2022-23 campaign on Monday when Cardiff City visit Turf Moor, and following that they will lift the Championship title and celebrate before going off on their summer holidays.

Not many expected Vincent Kompany to construct a side after selling so many key players that would wipe the floor with the rest of the second tier, but using talented loanees and his knowledge of European leagues, the Belgian managed to build one of the best teams that the modern day Championship has ever seen.

The recruitment drive is already underway for their Premier League return, and it perhaps has been for a while as links to Rangers winger Ryan Kent have been around for a number of weeks.

It was reported in mid-April by the Daily Mail that the Clarets had made their move when promotion was sealed to try and sign the 26-year-old, who is out of contract this summer at Ibrox and clubs not in Scotland have been allowed to approach the wide player since the start of 2023 in regards to a pre-contract agreement.

And in an update to Kent's situation, it is believed that Turkish giants Fenerbahce have joined the race for his signature and have put a four-year deal on the table, according to Football Insider.

However, Burnley are said to have offered a higher wage to the ex-Liverpool man, who has three goals and 10 assists in all competitions, meaning they could potentially have the edge.

Kent's potential arrival though could have negative consequences for an exciting signing from last summer in the form of Anass Zaroury.

How will it affect Anass Zaroury at Burnley?

Little was known of Zaroury when he signed for the Clarets from Charleroi for £3.5 million, but he was known to Kompany from his time managing Anderlecht in the Belgian Pro League and trust was placed in the former Man City captain to make the right moves.

It took Zaroury a little while to bed in at Turf Moor and his first league start didn't come until October, but his glittering form after he did get his chance saw him called up to the Morocco squad for the FIFA World Cup in November following four league goals and two assists.

In Kompany's unique system, Zaroury often hogs the left touchline and when the ball comes out to him, he has been known to bamboozle right-backs with his flair and trickery - the end product hasn't always been there, but he has definitely been one of Burnley's best players this season.

Kent's arrival though will surely cause an issue should he sign on the dotted line in East Lancashire - he will come with no doubt a decent wage and will want some guarantees on playing time, even though he's not exactly proven at Premier League level despite some strong performances in the UEFA Europa League last season.

It could prove to be a case of splitting Kent and Zaroury's playing time equally through the form of rotation, but that could really hinder the Morocco international, who is a fledging talent and needs to be given time to prove himself in the top flight of English football.