3 Tom Cannon alternatives Burnley FC must consider if Sunderland or Sheffield United win transfer battle | OneFootball

Football League World has summarised three potential alternatives if Burnley lose out in the Tom Cannon transfer race

Burnley have entered the hotly-contested transfer race for Leicester City's Tom Cannon alongside promotion rivals Sheffield United and Sunderland.

The Republic of Ireland international was officially recalled from his loan spell with Stoke by the Foxes on Wednesday morning ahead of an imminent exit, having scored nine Championship goals from 22 appearances in the Potteries.

According to a recent update from the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel, Burnley have entered the race amid fresh competition from Everton, who only sold Cannon to Leicester in the summer of 2023.

The Clarets will be tussling for his signature with the Blades and Sunderland, both of whom are also in the hunt for automatic promotion and have held a pronounced interest in pulling off the signing, which could well decide who heads to the Premier League in May.

As per reports, the two sides are willing to pay up to £13 million for the talented striker dependent on promotion, with an initial loan deal mooted for now. Burnley would be looking to entertain similar terms on the condition of promotion to the top-flight, one could imagine.

But if Burnley fall short in their pursuit of Cannon, who could be an alternative for Scott Parker? Football League World takes a look...

Emmanuel Dennis

As recently revealed by Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, three Championship clubs alongside one outfit from LaLiga and Serie A respectively - all of whom are unnamed for the time being - are interested in Nottingham Forest's Emmanuel Dennis, who is available on both loan and on a permanent transfer after entering the final eighteen months of his contract at the City Ground.

The 27-year-old has been exiled in the East Midlands this season and failed to make Forest's 25-player Premier League squad, meaning his last competitive appearance came while on for Watford in a 1-0 win over Sunderland all the way back on April 27.

In 18 appearances, Dennis scored four times during his brief return to Watford, but it's his first spell at Vicarage Road which he's best known for, and that would support any potential signing.

Dennis earned his move to Forest after returning 10 goals and six assists for Watford in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign and that sort of quality, if adequately unlocked, could make a considerable difference to the Championship promotion race.

Capable as either a striker or on the left-hand side, Dennis' mobility, versatility and ball-carrying ability could offer an extra dimension to an inconsistent Burnley attack which has struggled to unlock low-block Championship defences this season.

He also has a clear eye for goal, even if that sight has been lost somewhat over the last couple of years.

At 27, though, Dennis should be in his prime and perhaps should not be written off quite just yet. With his availability in mind, he's an attainable and potentially-shrewd option for Parker to consider if his side are pipped to the post in the chase for Cannon.

Deivid Washington

Another striker from the Premier League worth running the rule over as a potential Cannon alternative is Deivid Washington, who should really be looking to leave Chelsea on loan this month after failing to get a look-in under Enzo Maresca.

Washington signed for Chelsea from Brazilian outfit Santos in a reported £17.1 million deal eighteen months ago, signing a seven-year-contract in the process, but has only made three appearances with the Blues, all of which came last season.

The talented striker had been poised to complete a £17.6 million move to Strasbourg last summer, which reportedly fell through due to concerns over the French side also being owned by Chelsea owners BlueCo.

Though opportunities have proved intensely difficult to come by in a well-stacked Chelsea side, Washington has continued to catch the eye for their under-21's and is clearly above the level, meaning a loan move should be considered by both player and club.

Across four competitions this season, Washington has returned nine goals and three assists from just 13 appearances for Chelsea at age-group level.

The 19-year-old has some senior experience with Santos, but possesses the skillset to be a real hit in the Championship and could offer much-needed goals and creativity in the final third at Turf Moor.

Ragnar Ache

The final selection represents arguably a more left-field one, but Burnley should not limit themselves to the domestic market if they're looking at alternatives for Cannon.

Therefore, Kaiserslautern frontman Ragnar Ache could definitely be worth a punt. Ache has been in white-hot form in front of goal in the German second-tier over the last season-and-a-half after failing to make the grade with Eintracht Frankfurt.

The 26-year-old scored 16 goals in just 26 league matches and accumulated an impressive return of 0.80 strikes per 90 minutes last season, and he's continued to find the back of the net on a consistent basis this time around.

At the time of writing, Ache has nine goals and an assist under his belt from just 13 games for Kaiserslauten, who are currently ninth in the league table.

Although there are some notable and unavoidable differences between the Championship and the 2. Bundesliga, no Burnley forward has scored more goals than Zian Flemming's modest return of four and there's little denying just how much they need a striker who knows where the back of the net is.

Ache would be a gamble and any such signing would fall into the category of high-risk and high-reward, but if he could maintain his form over in Germany, then he could be the striker needed to propel Burnley back to the Premier League at the very first time of asking.