Burnley may face bleak future unless right calls are made in critical summer

Certainties at Turf Moor are few and far between. The fact they will start next season in the second tier after Sunday’s loss to Newcastle consigned them to the Championship after six years in the Premier League is about the only thing Burnley know for sure.

They have no manager, nine players are out of contract this summer, their academy is at risk of being downgraded and they have the small matter of needing to pay back “a significant proportion” of a £65m loan owner ALK Capital took out when buying the club.

Premier League TV rights money provided 90% of income for the club during the years affected by Covid, something Burnley will lose from next season. Parachute payments will help soften the blow but they will need to reconfigure finances to make the club sustainable.

On the playing side of things, a recruitment drive will be required to replace departing players. Of those whose deals expire, James Tarkowski will definitely leave and talks with long-serving captain Ben Mee will now take place over extending his 10-year stay at the club. Matej Vydra is another who could be persuaded to re-sign but Ashley Barnes, Phil Bardsley, Jack Cork, Aaron Lennon, Erik Pieters and Dale Stephens might need to look elsewhere.

Due to the disappointing nature of the season, few in the Burnley ranks will fetch a high price. Nick Pope will be the most expensive due to his impressive form to keep Burnley within touching distance of safety and Maxwel Cornet will attract interest thanks to a £17.5m release clause. Nathan Collins looked a Premier League player after deputising for Mee and Tarkowski for lengthy periods, while Dwight McNeil showed flashes of his talent after being reinvigorated following Sean Dyche’s sacking.

Ensuring Mee