Maxwel Cornet 2.0: Burnley FC and Scott Parker should know what to look for in January | OneFootball

Maxwel Cornet had a huge impact in his short Burnley spell, something Scott Parker will look to replicate in January

Maxwel Cornet quickly became a fan favourite at Turf Moor after his move from Lyon, and his star quality is something this current Burnley team desperately lack.

Cornet moved to the club at a time when European quality was at a premium in a team made up of primarily British talent under Sean Dyche, so everything was in place for him to succeed in East Lancashire.

His sensational efforts proved in vain in the 2021/22 season, as Burnley were ultimately relegated from the Premier League, but his performances were good enough to catch the eye of West Ham United, who took a punt on the Ivorian.

Most Clarets fans would probably say he's been their favourite player over the last five seasons or so and although his stay at Turf Moor was only short, his impact was huge.

Burnley have never been able to truly replace Cornet, struggling to find a player capable of performing to the level he did at the highest level. If they could find someone to replicate his performances, but in the Championship, it could prove key to getting out of the league.

That season, Cornet was quite comfortably the best player Burley had, and, in fact, was one of few to come out of the campaign with any credit in the bank, but after relegation, a move was a near certainty.

Cornet ended the season with nine goals to his name, which although may not seem all that eye-catching, is better based on the premise that he only played 26 games, with that largely owing to injury and an Africa Cup of Nations appearance.

It was his ability to produce moments of magic that truly caught the eye, and when Burnley needed him most, he'd pop up with something to help them claim a result - with his stunning volley against Leicester City and late winner against Everton notable examples.

All of these came despite him having largely minimal impact on games, as his post-AFCON performances left a lot to be desired, but he still continued to find moments in games that justified his selection.

With the ability to play on either wing and also up front, he was perfect for what Burnley needed at the time, and would undoubtedly also be ideal for now too.

Burnley miss a player with Cornet's star quality

Obviously, Cornet coming back to Turf Moor is nothing more than a pipe dream but a player of that ilk could really help boost their promotion push.

It's widely acknowledged that it's in the final third where Burnley have really struggled this season, with goals certainly having been at a premium throughout the campaign, with Tuesday night's 2-0 win against Coventry the first time they'd scored more than once in a game since mid-October.

Their passing game is among the best in the league, but creating chances, and subsequently taking them, is evidently an issue, but those two things were Cornet's biggest attributes, so finding a player like him could help ease their woes.

Defensively, Burnley are the best team in the league, so they have a platform to go on and win most games, and with that sprinkling of star quality in the final third from someone who can conjure up something out of nothing, they would certainly win far more points.

That's something Scott Parker will be acutely aware of, and a clinical goalscorer will certainly be near the top of his January wishlist but beyond that, the Clarets need to restore some star quality to their ranks.