The Swansea City striker is said to want a summer move to Leeds United, his hometown team.
Leeds United’s failure to splash out on a new striker in January was not down to a lack of funds, explained Whites managing director Angus Kinnear in an interview with BBC Radio Leeds that month.
Asked why United could not offer £8-or-9-million for someone like West Ham’s Jordan Hugill, for example – then a Preston player – Kinnear replied: “I think we have the potential to do that. But it’s about making sure we get value for the player.
“A lot of the names that have been suggested in the press I don’t think have the potential to deliver – or are [not] significantly better than what we have currently.”
But while Kinnear has perhaps been proved right in Hugill’s case, the recent form and probable availability of one Leeds-linked player could provide a chance for the former Arsenal employee to put his (or rather Andrea Radrizzani’s) money where his mouth is.
According to reports last week (the Sun), Oli McBurnie is ready to snub Swansea’s offer of a new contract and is eyeing a move to Elland Road instead.
Signed by Leeds boss Paul Heckingbottom shortly before the 40-year-old’s February defection, McBurnie has gone on to score eight goals in 14 games for loan club Barnsley, and he is sure to have plenty of interest this summer – from clubs who readily spent the sort of fees discussed by Kinnear in January.
Whatever the asking price (which should be lower than the going rate with McBurnie’s deal expiring next summer) 21-year-old will have proved himself worthy of the outlay. Leeds and Kinnear will have no excuses this time around.
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