Sean Dyche is baffled by reports linking Andre Gray with a move away from Burnley – as FIFA rules forbid him from playing for another club this season.
The Clarets paid a reported club record £6million to take the 24-year-old from Brentford in August, and he has proven value for money as he currently tops the Championship’s leading goalscorer charts. The striker, who won six international caps for the England C team whilst at Luton Town, has scored 16 goals which is two more than Fulham’s Ross McCormack.
This has led to speculation surrounding his immediate future at Turf Moor, with some reports suggesting Swansea City are prepared to offer the Lancashire club a profit on the striker if they can take him this month. However, Burnley boss Dyche is a little baffled by such links, given as Gray simply wouldn’t be allowed to play for a third club this season.
“He’s not allowed to play for another team,” he told the Burnley Express. “He’s not allowed to play for anyone else this season. I do think it’s interesting, the number of people that keep asking me about Andre – he’s not allowed to move. Well, he could move, but he can’t play for anyone else. And let’s face it, if you’re going to pay a lot of money you’d probably want to play him.”
Gray began this season in the colours of his former club, evening scoring twice in as many appearances for the Bees. So even if the Swans – or any other club for that matter – paid a fortune for his signature this month, they would then have to wait until the 2016/17 campaign before they could even consider including him in their matchday plans.
