Why exciting ace will be a key acquisition for Dyche’s Burnley machine

An unfortunate yet inevitable consequence of smaller sides enjoying an improbable season is the backlash of being handpicked by bigger sides the following campaign.

Burnley has had a fabulously tremendous year that would culminate in European qualification. Never has this happened in the club’s history.

Hence, the Clarets stars are in the sights of the division’s top dogs. However, Sean Dyche seems to be a step ahead by moving to tie down some of his trusted troops. Six has complied. Johann Berg Gudmundsson the most recent.

Gudmundsson was Dyche’s first acquisition after securing Premier League promotion in 2016. The red-bearded Englishman simply found the 27-year-old too good to resist following his impressive showing for Iceland at the European Championship. He offered him three years with an option of another.

However, barely two years into the deal, Dyche returned with another three-year contract. What this means is that the 46-year-old has been more than satisfied by the former Charlton Athletic winger. And rightly so.

Gudmundsson has become an integral part of Dyche’s team, racking up 34 league appearances, scoring twice and assisting eight goals to help guarantee a seventh-place finish and qualify for next season’s Europa League.

The Icelander is an ardent apostle of the Dyche-style. Despite his pace, skill set and other offensive attributes, he is always willing to assist at the back.

Although he doesn’t contribute much in terms of goals, but it makes a lot of sense to offer him a new deal and he makes up for that with his hard work. In games, he is often spotted covering larger spaces, alternating between attack and defence seamlessly.

Who doesn’t love such a player? Burnley could surge further up the table and return with another three-year deal in two years time. Who knows? We wait and see.

 

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