An update from the continent suggests that Burnley has already reached an agreement with Sporting CP for the winger, perhaps dealing Sunderland a serious setback in their alleged attempts to entice him to the Stadium of Light this summer.
The 26-year-old ultimately signed with their Championship promotion opponents, after being strongly linked to the Black Cats in the closing days of the January transfer window. Edwards has played in 11 league games for his new club since coming to England, with one goal and one assist.
But despite having missed out on him earlier in the season, reports since have suggested that Sunderland could look to rekindle their interest in the player at the end of the campaign – especially if they are to earn promotion and Burnley do not.
What has been said about Marcus Edwards’ future at Burnley?
But it would appear increasingly likely that Edwards will remain at Turf Moor this summer. For one thing, while Sunderland’s promotion fate now rests on a play-off campaign, Burnley have opened up a five-point cushion between themselves and third-placed Sheffield United, and look set to seal an automatic return to the Premier League next month, as things stand.
Additionally, according to a Maisfutebol report that CNN Portugal cited, an agreement already exists between the Clarets and Edwards’ parent club, Sporting, which stipulates that, should the Clarets be promoted, Scott Parker’s team would be required to acquire the attacker for approximately £8.6 million. According to the update, Burnley’s dominant position at the top of the Championship is expected to “speed up” Edwards’ “farewell.”
Why did Marcus Edwards join Burnley instead of Sunderland?
In an in-house documentary released during the aftermath of the January transfer window, George Foster-Vigors, Burnley’s head of recruitment, gave an explanation of how his side were able to beat Sunderland to Edwards’ signature.
“He has options at the bottom of the Premier League, but he wants to be a part of something more positive and doesn’t want to go to a dogfight,” he stated. He would think about us, Leeds, or Sunderland, who are vying for his promotion. Scott spoke with him, and everything went really well. Although he has spoken with Sunderland, it is advantageous for us that Scott worked with him as a youngster at Spurs.
“The one thing as a coach is you want the comfort of knowing what you’re bringing in,” Clarets manager Parker continued. Because I earned my coaching certifications at Spurs, I am familiar with Marcus’s personality and know what to anticipate from him.
