"It's a gamble" - Pundit reacts to Burnley FC, Josh Brownhill situation | OneFootball

FLW spoke exclusively to Carlton Palmer about the situation between Burnley and Josh Brownhill.

Carlton Palmer has offered up his solution to Burnley's contract situation with Josh Brownhill, with the midfielder out of contract at the end of the season.

Brownhill’s future at Burnley has been in the balance for much of the last year, with the 28-year-old holding off signing a new deal with the club to extend his four-year stay at Turf Moor.

The Clarets also received a £3.4 million transfer offer from Turkish outfit Trabzonspor for their club captain during the summer transfer window, according to The Athletic.

Even though a bid was rejected, it isn't ideal for a side that needs stability after the departures of numerous key men during the latter stages of the previous window. Not only that, but he has previously proven himself to be a quality operator in the division, even before his time with Burnley, as his career progressed with Bristol City.

Having claimed seven goals and eight assists in Burnley's promotion campaign in 2022/23, Brownhill has found regular game time to be more elusive since their move into the top-flight last season, with fewer than 25 starts over the course of the campaign.

A drop back down to the Championship was always likely to see him thrive once more, having scored four times and registered a further assist in their first nine league fixtures of the season.

He was outstanding on his return to the second tier last time out, with a series of impressive performances as Burnley topped the 100-point mark for the season, with his eye for a pass and tempo in the build up phase crucial, as well as his box-crashing ability in the final third.

Carlton Palmer's verdict on Burnley's Josh Brownhill

Brownhill has since revealed that he is keen to extend his stay at Turf Moor beyond the summer of 2025. He made this admission to BBC Radio Lancashire, where he also explained that he is willing to wait until the end of the 2024/25 campaign to resolve his future with Burnley.

We asked Ex-England international and pundit Carlton Palmer for his view on the situation. Speaking exclusively to Football League World, he said: "Josh Brownhill, Burnley's inspirational midfield player, is in the final year of his contract.

"But he's come out and spoke and said that he's happy to wait until the end of his deal to sort his future out.

"Listen, it's one of those; Burnley are going to be in the hunt to get back to the Premier League, and from their point of view they will be saying that he struggled in the Premier League.

"He excels in the Championship, though. I suppose they are just going to wait and see what happens.

"You want to get promoted, but then you've got one eye on looking at the Premier League, even if, obviously, you focus on the job in hand at first.

"If they're looking at next year, then you don't want to be signing a player up on a two or three-year deal who may not play for you in that league.

"For both parties, I think it's right. Josh is showing the right attitude to get his head down and playing well.

"Whatever happens to Burnley, he is going to be getting a good contract offer somewhere in the Championship next season, or they will keep him in the Premier League.

"The only problem that could come about, is if Burnley don't get get promoted, and there's a lot of suitors in the Championship looking at him.

"It's a gamble and challenge by the football club. I would have extended it by at least a year, for sure. Then, whatever happens, you're able to sell him.

"What you don't want to happen, is when it is coming down to the business end of the season, you don't want the player to be thinking that he doesn't want to get involved in this or that because he doesn't want to get injured.

"That's where the only problem is. So, I'd be extending his contract by another year, which gives Burnley the ability to sell him.

"He's only going to be 29 by the end of the season, and they can then get good money for him if they are promoted to the Premier League.

"For me, that's the sensible option. The player can then focus fully on his football and be committed to the club.

"It takes that risk element out of it all."

Josh Brownhill's importance to Burnley

Outside of last season, Brownhill has been a near-ever present since moving to Turf Moor four-and-a-half years ago, missing just a handful of games in that time.Such durability and availability is vital, and saw plenty of interest in his services arise in the summer.

West Ham, Wolves, Brentford, Rennes and Fiorentina were interested in securing his signature, whilst Everton and Leicester City were linked with the 28-year-old in January. Should Burnley not tie him down, he is likely to have plenty of offers from top-flight sides and ambitious Championship teams.