Nicky Hayen ‘let down’ in the transfer market according to Sky pundit

Burnley boss Nicky Hayen has been “let down” in the transfer market, according to EFL pundit Jodi McAnuff.

It comes after star man Zian Flemming was allowed to leave the club and join Ipswich Town on deadline day without being replaced.

Speaking after Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough, Hayen revealed a striker had been in talks over a late move only to perform a late U-turn.

It leaves the Clarets desperately short on quality options in the number nine position, with Andreas Hountondji struggling to make an impression against Boro and Armando Broja - who has badly struggled for goals in recent years - coming off the bench.

Analysing Burnley’s business following their midweek draw, Sky Sports pundit Curtis Davies admitted it was “concerning” Flemming had been allowed to leave without someone coming in.

“If you are selling and £20m is the number, you need to have these players replaced,” he said.

“After selling Flemming for £20m, they’re going to have a fee that they can pay to at least get a player out of the Championship that can score goals for them. But the fact they’ve not replaced him with anybody is the most concerning thing.

“You look at players like Broja, all these players on paper are brilliant, but Broja, since his nine goals in the Premier League at Southampton as a 19-year-old, he’s scored four goals in the last six years.

“We all want him to get better, see him fit and be out there, but it’s just not happened. If they’re going to rely on him, it’s a really big ask when you’re going from Zian Flemming, who scored double figures in the Premier League last year.

“That’s the biggest concern for me, that there was no contingency plan of option one, two and three.”

Fellow pundit McAnuff, meanwhile, went even stronger, claiming Hayen has been “let down” by those above him.

“This is where I have a lot of sympathy for the manager, because he’s the one who’s going to have all eyes on him,” he said.

“But he’s been let down by that football club, having your best striker and the one who’s going to score you goals, even when you’re not playing particularly well. To not have someone to be able to call on, it leaves him in a really difficult position.

“It’s early stages and I’m sure there are bits of the game he feels they can improve and should be doing better, but I’ve got to come back to the ownership and the recruitment and say they’ve left him very, very short in a key area.”