Premier League 2025-26 preview No 6: Burnley

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 20th (NB: this is not necessarily Andy Hunter’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 2nd in the Championship

Prospects

No club encapsulates the widening gulf between the top two tiers of English football quite like Burnley. Their record over the past four seasons reads: relegated from the Premier League with 35 points, promoted as champions of the Championship with 101 points, relegated from the Premier League again with 24 points and promoted from the Championship again with 100 points. Too strong for one league but not strong enough for the next, Burnley and their ambitious owners face a considerable challenge to turn the tide of recent history.

Under Scott Parker, the newly promoted team are likely to adopt a more pragmatic approach to their Premier League return than last time under Vincent Kompany, although relegation didn’t do his career prospects any harm. Promotion was built on the back of an outstanding defence and survival may depend on a repeat performance. It is not only the step up in quality that casts doubt on those prospects, however, but the fact Parker has lost key components of the unit responsible for the best defensive record in English league history last season – a measly 16 goals in 46 games – with 30 clean sheets kept along the way.

CJ Egan-Riley has left for Marseille after rejecting Burnley’s offer of a new contract while goalkeeper James Trafford, who was named in the Championship Team of the Season for 2024-25 alongside the central defender, has rejoined Manchester City. Survival hopes have been hit by their exits but at least Maxime Estève, who also had admirers, has stayed and signed a new five-year deal.

Fielding an attack of Premier League calibre could also be a problem for Burnley. Midfielder and captain Josh Brownhill was the side’s top scorer last season but will follow Egan-Riley in leaving on a free transfer. Parker has added experience to the defence in Kyle Walker and Axel Tuanzebe. It will be required.

The manager

Scott Parker is on an identical mission to his club this season: both must break an unwelcome cycle to survive in the Premier League after their two previous attempts failed. Last season’s promotion was the third of the former England international’s managerial career and, along with Fulham and Bournemouth, achieved at the first time of asking. He has never reached a second successive season in the top flight as a manager, however, losing his job after suffering relegation with Fulham in 2021 and being sacked by Bournemouth after criticising their transfer policy after a 9-0 thrashing at Liverpool in 2022. Parker and Burnley will hope for third time lucky.

Off-field picture

The Clarets are set to become the latest team under multi-club ownership after Velocity Sport Limited (VSL), the sports arm of their investment group owners ALK Capital, agreed a deal to take over Espanyol. Former NFL star JJ Watt, a minority investor in Burnley, has confirmed he will be involved in buying the La Liga club. VSL will become majority shareholders at Espanyol with the Catalan club’s previous owners, the Chinese company Rastar Group, remaining involved. The deal is yet to be ratified but Espanyol have stated they will be independent from Burnley.

Star signing

Manchester City were willing to part company with Kyle Walker after eight years of stellar service and Milan opted against making last season’s loan move permanent, but it was still something of a surprise when the England international made Turf Moor the next step in his impressive career. At 35, the renowned pace may be slowing but the right-back remains fiercely competitive and will bring the leadership, experience and ability that Burnley will need to survive. Walker wanted to stay in the north-west and was sold on Burnley by Parker, his former Tottenham team-mate. The prospect of joining England’s 100 club – Walker currently has 96 caps – will also spur him on.

Burnley's Joe Westley finds himself tangled in legs after scoring against Huddersfield Town during a pre-season friendly. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA

Stepping up

The 20-year-old striker Joe Westley will be looking to build on last season’s important breakthrough when he stepped up to the EFL for the first time. After loan spells with National League teams Fylde and Rochdale, Westley joined Swindon on a temporary deal in January and made an immediate impact with a goal on his League Two debut. He scored three goals in 17 appearances for Ian Holloway’s side in total, having netted 13 times in 13 games for Burnley’s under-21s in the first half of the season, and made his mark this pre-season with the winner in a friendly against Huddersfield.

A big season for …

Aaron Ramsey suffered a serious knee injury against Arsenal in February 2024, and it has been a long road back for the former England under-20 international. Ramsey, younger brother of Aston Villa’s Jacob, joined Burnley for £14m plus add-ons in 2023 but has been restricted to one brief substitute appearance for the first team in the 18 months since his injury. “It’s easy to be forgotten about when you’re not on the pitch,” the attacking midfielder admitted last season. Now fit and with a pre-season behind him, the 22-year-old is on course for a welcome return.