Burnley should hand surprise reprieve to striker with Zeki Amdouni future unclear: View | OneFootball

With Zeki Amdouni expected to leave Burnley this summer. The Clarets should look to Michael Obafemi to replace the Swiss international.

Michael Obafemi struggled for minutes at Burnley last season whilst they were a Premier League club.

The former Southampton striker was deemed surplus to requirements by Vincent Kompany upon Burnley's promotion to the top flight of English football, and subsequently spent the second half of the season on loan at Millwall.

It seemed as though his future at Burnley was uncertain at the very best, following Burnley's relegation and Kompany's subsequent departure, Obafemi could be handed a new lease on life.

Burnley spent big last summer in an attempt to stave off relegation, with Zeki Amdouni arriving from Basel to bolster Burnley's frontline.

Amdouni flattered to deceive in a Burnley shirt last season, but the Swiss international is unlikely to be willing to play Championship football next year, with his international reputation on the line.

His departure could hand Obafemi, who played an important supporting role in Burnley's promotion to the Premier League, a lifeline at Turf Moor.

Burnley are still yet to appoint a permanent replacement for Kompany, and it remains to be seen whether the new manager has Obafemi in his plans.

The Republic of Ireland international will, however, be confident of forcing his way back into the side with Burnley at a crossroads following their relegation.

Obafemi has Championship experience and, unlike many of the signings made under Kompany, he doesn't have pretensions of playing in the Premier League just yet.

The 23-year-old offers a safe bet for any incoming manager as they look to add goals to the side.

Michael Obafemi has proven himself at Championship level

Whilst he's never been the most prolific striker, Obafemi has proven himself to be a reliable option off the bench during his time at Burnley.

In the Clarets' promotion campaign in 2022-23, Obafemi netted twice in his 12 league appearances, having hit the back of the net three times for Swansea in the first half of the campaign.

It was the previous season though for the Welsh club that saw Obafemi become a top Championship attacker, scoring 12 times for the Swans in 32 league outings, and that led to a bid from Burnley late on in the summer transfer window of 2022, where they saw an £8 million offer turned down - months before they got him on a loan to buy basis.

Obafemi may have found game-time hard to come by in the Premier League, but he has shown that, given consistent minutes, he can find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Lyle Foster is set to lead the line next season, but his well-documented mental health struggles have seen him in and out of the squad in recent times, and, as last season proved, Burnley don't have a viable backup option to the South African.

Obafemi will be hoping to fill that void and offer support as both a starter and a substitute next season now that they are in the Championship once more, and now it remains to be seen who will be the manager to potentially give him that chance.

It would be no surprise if Zeki Amdouni left Burnley this summer

Amdouni arrived at Burnley last summer to a lot of fanfare, and whilst he was arguably one of Clarets' brightest player last season, he still struggled for consistency.

The 23-year-old scored six times for Burnley as they tried to escape the relegation zone but fell out of favour towards the end of the season.

Amdouni is highly regarded back in Switzerland and has played a part in all three of his country's games at the European Championship this summer.

The forward will therefore be keen to put himself in the shop window for international selection in the future and knows he's unlikely to do so playing in the Championship.

Should Amdouni leave the club this summer, it could open the door for Obafemi to revive his Burnley career, given the lack of real options at the disposal of the Kompany replacement - whoever that may be.

With Championship pedigree under his belt and still only 23 years of age, Obafemi is someone that could be given another chance in Lancashire, but it remains to be seen if that will be the case.