Lesser-spotted Burnley FC player wanted by Dutch duo as January exit looks likely | OneFootball

Shurandy Sambo could be set for a January loan switch from Burnley following just two appearances since his PSV switch.

Shurandy Sambo has struggled for minutes since signing for Burnley in the summer after leaving PSV Eindhoven, but a return to Dutch football could be on the cards in January.

The 23-year-old right-back joined the club after his deal with PSV expired, becoming Burnley's first signing of the post-Vincent Kompany era.

Burnley's overloaded squad didn't look like it needed a lot to be added to it over the summer, but they signed the right-back to add competition to an area with Connor Roberts as the only specialist.

Despite his lack of competition, relative to the other parts of the team, Sambo has struggled to break into the first-team.

Scott Parker has preferred to move natural central defender Bashir Humphreys over to the right-hand side of the backline instead of using Sambo, who has only accumulated 18 total minutes in the league since joining Burnley.

The defender was unveiled by the Clarets early in the summer, having signed a contract with them that will last until the summer of 2028, having once featured regularly for Sparta Rotterdam a few seasons ago.

Shurandy Sambo's Burnley future in doubt as Dutch duo set to battle for his services

The Dutchman has made just one league appearance for the Clarets since the start of the season, that being a cameo in the 1-0 defeat against Sunderland back in August.

His lack of game time makes a January move, whether it be permanent or temporary, feel more and more like the best thing to do. However, there is still some confidence that he can have an impact on this Burnley team in the future.

Sambo was reported to have been offered out to clubs on loan in the summer, and was even left out of Burnley's initial squad registration. That's since been rectified, but several omissions from the matchday squad suggest there's no place for him at the moment.

A loan move would look likely for Sambo, who could even elect to return to the Netherlands. According to Dutch daily the Eindhovens Dagblad, FC Utrecht and Sparta Rotterdam are two of the sides interested in the Clarets’ out-of-favour full-back.

It has been also suggested that several foreign clubs will rival the Dutch pair for him, as sides are eyeing taking him from Burnley on loan and the Clarets have already received enquiries about him recently.

The Clarets are firmly in the automatic promotion shake-up, but in need of reinforcements as Parker's side struggle for invention in the final third on a consistent basis, meaning recruiting players to help them in January will require them to ship players out of the door to not only free up space in the squad, but also to free up some money to fund any moves.

From Sambo's perspective, he needs to feature more often and play regular games. 23 is the age where he should be developing as a footballer, so he should be pushing for first-team action. If it's not going to come at Turf Moor, then alternative options must be explored.

From the team's side of things, they need to make sure they have their plans in place for January. If Burnley feel they need him and he wants to fight for his place, then that's perfect. However, if not, then a loan switch may be best for all involved, while also getting his wages off the books temporarily.