Scott Parker makes 'big summer' transfer admission as Burnley gear up for Premier League
Scott Parker has admitted a big summer lies ahead for his Burnley side as the Clarets look to ensure they’re Premier League ready.
Burnley will line up back in the top flight next season after winning automatic promotion alongside Leeds United, while Sunderland pipped Sheffield United in the Championship play-offs.
Both Leeds and Burnley finished the season on 100 points, but it was Daniel Farke’s side who claimed the league title by virtue of goal difference.
Despite overseeing such an impressive campaign, where the Clarets lost just two of their 46 league games, Parker knows his side must be improved if they’re to give themselves the best chance possible of ensuring Premier League safety.
The challenge lying ahead is stark: all six of the newly-promoted sides have been relegated in their first seasons over the course of the past two campaigns.
Vincent Kompany’s Burnley were among them in 2023/24, when they amassed just 24 points despite spending over £100m on new players.
On this occasion, as Parker himself admits, Burnley must get their recruitment spot on.
"Yeah, it’s a big summer,” the Clarets boss said. “A lot of work will be going on. There's little bits going on now.
“We'll plan accordingly and work out the best route to go now, which is a big challenge for us next year. But we're excited.
"Like I said to you, we're excited and enthusiastic about next year and what it brings and we're going to face the challenges, what we face, like we have this year really. So, we're looking forward to it.”
As it stands, things are fairly quiet on the transfer front as Parker and his players make the most of their time off following a breathless campaign.
“I'm actually enjoying this,” Parker added. “I'm actually looking forward to resting, I’m not going to lie to you.
“It's been pretty full on and while I wouldn’t want it any different at the back end of it, it’s been pretty full on so I’m looking forward to probably just getting some oxygen and just relaxing a little bit.
"But then we will soon get back at it to work out what we're going to do next year.”