What Scott Parker has said on Ashley Barnes' future at Burnley FC | OneFootball

Burnley head coach Scott Parker has provided an update on whether striker Ashley Barnes will be given a new contract this summer.

Burnley head coach Scott Parker has confirmed that no decision has yet been made on whether striker Ashley Barnes will be offered a new contract this summer.

Barnes initially joined Burnley from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2014, and he went on to make almost 300 appearances over a near 10-year spell at Turf Moor before being released in the summer of 2023 following the club's promotion to the Premier League under Vincent Kompany.

The 35-year-old made the move to Norwich after his departure from the Clarets, and he spent the next 18 months at Carrow Road, scoring just seven goals and providing five assists in 49 appearances for the Canaries.

With that underwhelming goalscoring record in mind, it was something of a surprise when Burnley decided to bring Barnes back to the club in January on a free transfer after he left Norwich by mutual consent, with the striker putting pen-to-paper on a short-term contract until the end of the season.

Barnes has made 15 appearances for the Clarets since his return, with only two of those coming from the start in the FA Cup, and he has scored just one goal, but he has helped Parker's side secure their return to the Premier League, in the process achieving his fourth Championship promotion with the club.

Scott Parker provides update on Ashley Barnes' future at Burnley

Speaking ahead of Burnley's final game of the season at home to Millwall on Saturday, in which they will be looking to win the Championship title, Parker opened up on Barnes' contract situation, revealing that he has not yet decided whether to keep the striker at Turf Moor next season.

“Not at the moment, no," Parker told the Burnley Express.

"We've not really discussed in great detail next year or certainly how it would look in terms of players' contracts. We’ve got one game left and that's been the main focus.

"But Ashley Barnes has been incredible since he's come in and there’s an opportunity for him at the weekend as well, depending on the decision I make.

"Either way, if he starts or he comes off the bench, we know it's a given with what we'll see."

Scott Parker sanctioning Ashley Barnes' Burnley FC return was a masterstroke

It is fair to say that Parker's decision to bring Barnes back to Burnley in January raised a few eyebrows, particularly given his side's goalscoring problems at the time.

Barnes' record during his time at Norwich was not exactly prolific, so many questioned why the Clarets re-signed him, but Parker insisted that "an experienced head is exactly what we need", and the striker's presence in the dressing room during the run-in will no doubt have been invaluable to what is a relatively young squad.

However, as Burnley prepare for life back in the Premier League, Parker must be ruthless when making decisions about which of his squad to keep for the top flight, and Barnes should not be offered a new contract this summer.