Burnley's £350k transfer with Wolves turned out to be an utter bargain: View | OneFootball

Sam Vokes turned out to be an excellent signing for the Clarets.

Highlights

Burnley signing Sam Vokes from Wolverhampton Wanderers turned out to be a masterstroke.

The Welsh striker swapped Molineux for Turf Moor in January 2012, after the Clarets had an offer of around £350k accepted.

Sean Dyche's side were in the Championship at the time of the transfer, and nobody could have predicted the impact Vokes would have at the club.

Vokes' physical presence and aerial ability made him ideal for Dyche's system, and he thrived at Burnley during his time there.

Vokes was key for Burnley

Vokes only scored six Championship goals in his first season-and-a-half at Turf Moor, but he really kicked on in the years that followed.

He scored 20 league goals as Burnley achieved automatic promotion from the second tier at the end of the 2013/14 campaign, ensuring that the Clarets would be playing Premier League football.

After being relegated back to the Championship, Vokes scored 15 goals in the 2015/16 season as Burnley were promoted again, this time as champions.

The rest of Vokes' time in Lancashire was spent in the top-flight. The forward scored 10 goals in the Premier League in the 2016/17 season, and was part of the side that played in the Europa League qualifiers in the summer of 2018, nearly reaching the group stages.

His impact on the pitch more than repaid the transfer fee that Burnley paid for his services, and the deal would eventually be seen as even more of a bargain after he moved on from the club.

Vokes left Burnley to join Stoke City

Vokes joined Stoke City at the end of the January transfer window in 2019 for a fee of around £7m. Wolves were due 25 percent of the profit made on the original transfer fee, but Burnley still made a significant amount of money on the deal.

The sale did not impact the Clarets' season too badly, as they recorded a 15th place finish in the Premier League at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

Not only did Vokes deliver on the pitch for Burnley, but he also commanded a transfer fee that benefited the club financially when he left.

Vokes has played in the EFL since leaving Burnley

Vokes has gone on to enjoy a good career in the EFL since leaving Turf Moor.

He scored 11 goals during his time with Stoke, although the club did not challenge at the top end of the Championship as had been hoped when he arrived at the club.

After leaving the Potters, Vokes joined Wycombe Wanderers in League One. He helped the club reach the League One play-off final in 2022, where they were beaten 2-0 by Sunderland at Wembley.

The 34-year-old will go into his fourth season with the Chairboys at the start of the 2024/25 League One campaign, and will hope he can use his experience to help Wycombe push on in the third tier.

Watching on from Turf Moor, Vokes will be remembered by Burnley fans as a key player during their promotion seasons and time in the Premier League. The striker delivered on the pitch for the Clarets, as well as making the club a good profit when he left the club to sign for Stoke.

He was a real bargain for Burnley and their fans will take an interest in his whereabouts now.