Burnley completed their first summer signing with the capture of Leeds United defender Charlie Taylor on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old turned down the offer of a new contract at Elland Road, so the Clarets will have to pay a compensation fee for Taylor, who has penned a four-year contract at Turf Moor.
He looks set to battle it out with Stephen Ward for the starting spot at left-back and is relishing the prospect of trying to help Burnley build on their 16th place finish last term:
“Stephen Ward did brilliant, so I’ve got to fight hard to get in the team. But I’m sure even if I’m not I can learn a lot of things off him. I just want to improve and try to help Burnley go onto that next level, stay in the Premier League and kick on to bigger and better things.”
The History
Taylor linked up with the Leeds academy at the age of nine and progressed through the ranks to make his professional debut in a League Cup tie against Bradford City in August 2011, aged just 17.
He then took in brief loan spells at League Two sides Bradford City and York City before spending six months at Scottish Premiership outfit Inverness Caledonian Thistle during the 2012/13 season, making eight appearances in all competitions.
The young defender joined another League Two club, Fleetwood Town, on a season-long loan in 2013/14, gaining valuable first-team experience and racking up 42 appearances in all competitions, registering four assists.
Taylor returned to Elland Road for the 2014/15 campaign and established himself in the starting XI during the second half of the season, playing at both left-back and on the left side of midfield.
He produced two goals and one assist from 23 league outings before nailing down the left-back spot in 2015/16, totalling one goal and seven assists from 39 matches.
Last season, Taylor, who represented England twice at U19 level, made a further 29 league appearances, yielding four assists from left-back.
The Prospects
While Taylor is likely to compete with Ward for the starting berth, he can also operate on the left side of midfield.
Given manager Sean Dyche’s liking for hard-working wide men, he could be an option to line up in a more advanced role and challenge Scott Arfield and Robbie Brady down that flank.
Taylor appears ready to make the step up to the Premier League, with his positioning, tackling, and crossing ability among his main strengths. His physical prowess – he stands at 6ft 1in – also makes him powerful in the air for a full-back.
To add to his appeal, the 23-year-old took some set-piece duties for Leeds and could offer a left-footed option from corners and free-kicks.
Comparing Taylor and Ward’s defensive numbers from last season, it was Ward who held the edge, averaging a clearance, block or interception (CBI) every 13.20 minutes, compared to one every 20.08 minutes for Taylor.
In terms of their attacking threat, both players barely offered any goal potential, with Ward averaging a shot every 461.86 minutes, slightly superior to Taylor (469.80).
Taylor does offer going forward, however. In terms of creativity, he averaged a key pass every 123.63 minutes, while Ward only managed to create a chance every 153.95 minutes.
But it’s worth noting Taylor supplied a key pass every 76.30 minutes in 2015/16 when he registered seven assists, demonstrating he does have the ability to produce attacking returns.
He also showed plenty of intent to bomb forward and take on the defence while at Leeds. He attempted a dribble every 42.7 minutes last season, completing 60% of his 55 “take ons”.
Ward, in contrast, was far more conservative, raiding forward 134 minutes. However, he did beat his man with 66% of 24 dribbles, indicating that perhaps the deficit here is created more by Burnley’s cautious tactics than Ward’s lack of attacking intent.
Last season, Dyche’s side managed to keep a respectable 10 clean sheets, with six of those coming at Turf Moor.
England international Tom Heaton was the key target and finished as the highest scoring goalkeeper in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), while Michael Keane was the cornerstone of the defence.
But with Keane now an Everton player, the appeal of Burnley defensive assets has been diminished.
Dyche appears certain to enter the transfer market to sign a replacement, but it’s unlikely he’ll be able to unearth a player of Keane’s quality.
The Clarets’ opening schedule (che, WBA, tot, CPL, liv) also doesn’t help matters, although the more favourable home fixtures do mean defenders could be ideal for rotation pairings.
With little to choose between Ward and Taylor, it’s likely they’ll both be priced at 4.5 in FPL.
If Taylor can secure a regular starting berth, the attacking threat he showed in 2015/16 suggests he could be a factor, potentially providing a cheaper route into the Burnley rearguard – particularly as Heaton is set to earn a price hike up to 5.0.
But the loss of Keane means many Fantasy managers may look elsewhere for budget options at the back when drawing up their initial Gameweek 1 squads – the Clarets conceded exactly two goals in each of their last three matches when the England defender was missing through injury.
With Ward turning 32 next month, the addition of Taylor looks a shrewd piece of business by Burnley.
The former Leeds man appears to have both the physical and technical attributes required to flourish at this level.
Pre-season will clearly be crucial for Taylor as he tries to move ahead of Ward in the pecking order, and while that uncertainty may curb any potential investment for now, he could be a factor as the season progresses.
