"Plenty of potential" - Burnley eye Bristol City transfer deal: The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Burnley are interested in signing Bristol City midfielder Han-Noah Massengo, according to Foot Mercato.

The 21-year-old joined the Robins in 2019 from French side Monaco in a deal that could potentially be worth around £8 million.

The midfielder has been a key part of the Bristol City team during his stint at the club, but this summer Massengo could become a free agent.

The Robins have offered the midfielder a new contract, but with Burnley’s interest now emerging, it could mean Massengo leaves Bristol City for free this summer.

As this news develops, we have asked some of the writers at FLW for their thoughts on Burnley’s interest in Massengo and whether they believe he would be a good signing.

Adam Jones

It does feel as though the Clarets could benefit from adding more depth to their midfield - and he could be particularly important if Samuel Bastien leaves.

Massengo hasn't fulfilled his potential at Bristol City, but it's clear he has plenty of potential and because they can bring him in for a potentially small compensation fee, this is an agreement worth getting over the line.

If they were still in the Championship, this may have been a potential signing to steer clear of so they could focus on other priorities.

But they are likely to have plenty of money to spend this summer following their promotion, and he's certainly worth taking a chance on, as a player who will only improve in the coming seasons.

Simmey Hannifin-Donaldson

This is certainly an interesting signing for Burnley to be considering this summer.

I'm not entirely convinced Han-Noah Massengo is the type of midfielder Burnley should be looking at ahead of their Premier League return, though.

For sure, he is a talent, but is he really good enough to come in at Premier League level and really thrive from the get go?

Arguably that's what Burnley need, and I'm not one hundred percent sure if he is the one for that.

Indeed, if a deal does get done, for me, it's more one for the next year or two, or three, rather than as a starter next season.

Brett Worthington

This would be a very surprising signing from Burnley.

There is no doubt that Massengo is a player who has a huge amount of potential and, at his age, still has plenty of time to develop into a great midfielder.

However, during his time at Bristol City, he hasn’t really been able to show what he is all about. So, that would be a concern for Burnley and Vincent Kompany, but maybe a fresh start and a new, better team is what Massengo needs.

Midfield is probably an area that Burnley do need to strengthen this summer, and adding a player like Massengo means you are buying someone for now and the future. It is just a matter of whether the 21-year-old is ready for football in the Premier League just yet.