"A lot to prove" - Burnley urged to trust the manager with 23-year-old's future in the balance | OneFootball

FLW's Burnley fan pundit is unsure on what the future holds for Michael Obafemi at Turf Moor, but trusts the next manager to find a solution.

Highlights

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It promises to be a hectic summer for Burnley as they prepare for life back in the Championship, and returning loanees, such as Michael Obafemi, may feel they have a point to prove next season.

The Clarets remain in the hunt for a new boss, with Vincent Kompany having left for Bayern Munich in a move that surprised many in the footballing world.

The appeal of the Bundesliga giants was obvious, and few would begrudge Kompany leaving for Munich, but it has left Burnley in a difficult position with the transfer window now open.

They have yet to appoint his successor, but whoever is in charge will have to deal with a high turnover of players, as the Clarets are expected to be very busy, with a host of players returning to the club from loan spells.

One of whom is Obafemi, who may struggle to get near the first-team at Burnley, with Zeki Amdouni and Lyle Foster still on the books, whilst it's possible that they may be in the market for another number nine.

Plenty remains uncertain at Turf Moor currently, including the future of the Ireland international. Some may argue that his position is unlikely to change with a different head coach, and his loan spell at Millwall isn’t going to convince many that he warrants another chance.

He managed just two goals in 14 outings. Not only that, but he was left out by Neil Harris towards the end of his time at The Den due to ‘disciplinary reasons’.

Obafemi is under contract with Burnley until the summer of 2025, meaning some sort of deal will have to be struck now if they are to make any money back on the striker, or the club will need to extend his current contract and reintegrate him into the first-team fold.

FLW’s Burnley fan pundit Ben Livingstone believes whoever takes their spot in the dugout next season will be best placed to know what to do with Obafemi for the 2024/25 campaign. He said: "It's a weird one with Obafemi, for me.

"It depends, but I think I'd just back whatever the manager says.

"He didn't put up any fantastic numbers last season with Millwall. "He's a weird one, Obafemi. He's someone I liked at the time we bought him. "I wouldn't have paid £10 million but £2.5 million was about right for him. "He's still got a lot to prove, I believe. "He could be one of those that we look at next season and think: 'wow, he's proven us wrong.' "I think you've got to give him this pre-season, and then whatever the manager thinks - I think you've just got to go with that. "I'm sure we could recoup a bit of money for him. Maybe £1.5 million? "And we can probably class that as another failed move.

"For now, give him pre-season under a new manager - whoever that may be - and go with that."

Michael Obafemi and Burnley in 2024/25

The pacy forward has already proven himself to be a regular on the scoresheet for Swansea City in a previous spell in the second tier, with 12 goals in 32 league matches for the Swans in the 2021/22 campaign.

Despite things ending on a sour note with Millwall, a January move to East London seemed to reinvigorate the striker initially, with his constant energy at the top end of the pitch providing problems for Championship defenders.

He is not a reliably consistent goalscorer but offers plenty in terms of his direct running and hold up play, so he could be a useful option in some capacity next season.