Stoke City gifted Burnley FC £500k bargain but promotion will change the picture | OneFootball

Josh Laurent was allowed to leave for peanuts in the summer, with the Clarets profiting from the situation

There would have been more than a few raised eyebrows at the bet365 Stadium over the summer as Stoke City waved goodbye to Josh Laurent after two years at the club.

The bewilderment would not have been due to the fact that the playmaker was off to pastures new - there had been speculation surrounding his future for much of the off-season - but the measly sum that the Potters were to receive would have been something of a kick in the teeth.

Many would have expected the 29-year-old to command a seven-figure fee upon his departure from the Staffordshire outfit but the fact that Burnley only reportedly paid £500,000 for his services was something of a bargain for the Clarets, who have seen the midfielder become a regular presence at Turf Moor over recent months.

Laurent has played his part as the Lancashire side target an immediate return to the Premier League and if they achieve that feat, it won’t only be Scott Parker’s side that will be toasting their success but City will also be reaping the rewards too.

Stoke City could still benefit from Josh Laurent, Burnley deal

There was speculation all summer regarding Laurent and his future at Stoke City, with a number of clubs said to be interested in the playmaker as he entered the final year of his contract in the Potteries.

With his club seemingly set on cashing in on their asset, interest came from far and wide, with a proposed move to Turkish outfit Sivasspor turned down despite Stoke accepting a bid, while League One side Birmingham City were also said to be in the mix.

But with time ticking down in the summer transfer window, Laurent’s future continued to hang in the balance, before Parker and his Burnley side dangled a carrot in front of his nose, with the move to Turf Moor coming with days left in the transfer window.

At £500,000, it was one of the bargain buys of the summer in the Championship, with Laurent proving his quality time and time again with Stoke over the previous two seasons, having signed as a free agent in the summer of 2022.

Five goals in 72 league appearances only tells part of the story of his time in red and white, with his creativity and vision giving his side a platform to build from when piling forward, making the six-figure fee completely laughable when news broke following his transfer.

But if promotion is secured this season, Burnley will likely be sending more money Stoke’s way come the summer, with add-ons of last year’s deal said to see the total sum reach £1 million; a fee many would say should have been agreed in the first place.

Josh Laurent can play part in Burnley promotion push

With that extra windfall in mind, there will be more than the odd glance from the Potteries towards Turf Moor over the coming months, as Laurent looks to keep the pressure on at the top of the table in the hope of achieving promotion.

The midfielder netted his first two goals of the season in last week’s 5-0 trouncing of Plymouth Argyle at Home Park and will be looking to add even more to his tally in the months to come, with Premier League football the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Whether he has been in the starting lineup or appearing from the bench, the ex-Reading man has contributed towards a well-drilled side that are keeping in touch with the leading pack of late, with a four-way battle for the top two automatic promotion spots looking likely to run until the end of the season.

Right now, it is anyone’s guess who is going to get over the line and reach the promised land, but there will be fingers crossed in Stoke, as well as Burnley, that it is the Clarets who get themselves over the line when all is said and done in May.