This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Burnley could be gearing up for a busy summer as interest builds around Nathan Collins.

Fresh reports from TalkSPORT, via the Stoke Sentinel, have claimed that the 20-year-old has been the subject of a £10million offer from Burnley as they look to bolster their defensive ranks ahead of the new season.

Sean Dyche's side had numerous offers rejected for the defender during the January transfer window as they looked to secure a deal for the Stoke youngster.

But despite The Sun journalist Alan Nixon claiming that no fresh offer has been made, it seems that this is a link that could rumble on.

So could a move to Burnley be a good switch for Nathan Collins?

The team at FLW have their say...

 

 

Sam Rourke

I'm not surprised Burnley remain keen on Collins.

The 20-year-old has emerged as one of Stoke City's integral cogs in their back-line whether that be at centre-back or at right-back.

He's a solid player, strong in the tackle and is comfortable with the ball at his feet - In truth, he's the sort of player that Sean Dyche likes.

It does seem though that it is going to take a sizeable sum to prize the defender away from the Bet365 Stadium this summer, with O'Neill seemingly keen to keep hold of the player as they look to have a better campaign next term.

With Ben Mee slowly reaching the latter end of his career, the Clarets do need to freshen up their defence and Collins would provide a superb short and long term solution.

Him and Tarkowski as a centre-back pairing would be impressive and give them a solid foundation next season to push up the Premier League table.

Though as aforementioned, it's going to take a lot of money to bring him to Turf Moor.

Jordan Rushworth  This is a signing that seems like it could be difficult for Burnley to pull off this summer, with the Potters maintaining a firm stance over their valuation of the defender and rightly so. However, it is definitely a move that is worth pursuing for the Clarets because he could be a perfect option for them. The long-term future of key-man James Tarkowski is in doubt and he only has one year remaining on his current deal. That means that even if Burnley decide not to cash in on him this summer, they will likely lose him at the end of next term. What Sean Dyche’s side need is a player that they can work with throughout next season on the training ground and get ready to replace Tarkowski. Collins has a lot of potential and you back him to flourish within Burnley’s system once he adapted to it. He would get chances to play in the cup competitions next term and then be fully prepared to make the step up to their starting line-up after a year. Therefore, Burnley should be prepared to keep asking questions over Stoke’s resolve to keep hold of the defender. Given the finances around the game at the moment, the Potters might be forced to cash in on him at some stage this summer. Ned Holmes Despite having one of the lowest budgets in the Premier League, Burnley have managed to uncover and nurture a fair bit of centre-back in recent years. Should they snap him up from Stoke, it looks as though Collins could be the next in line. The 20-year-old looks a really bright prospect and a long-term replacement for James Tarkowski perhaps. That's needed given he's repeatedly hinted at a move away from the club. The injury this season should be too much of a worry for the Clarets, though competition from elsewhere should be something they're concerned about.