Burnley may be looking at Nottingham Forest with serious...

Nottingham Forest’s stellar Premier League season will make Burnley’s striker problems in the Championship even

more painful.

The Clarets have occasionally suffered from not having a reliable goal scorer, but they are still in the running for

automatic promotion back to the top division.

The defensive core of Scott Parker’s team has allowed just nine goals in 31 games, which is an incredible record at

this or any level.

However, Nottingham Forest may be able to compete in the Champions League next season because to Chris Wood’s

goals.

The Lancashire team’s decline into a yo-yo club was sparked by the New Zealand international’s departure in the

January 2022 transfer window.

Wood was sold to Newcastle United, who were then relegation rivals, for a fee of £25 million, as reported by Sky

Sports, after a release clause was triggered.

With 17 goals in 24 games so far this season, Wood has been the unexpected element of the Premier League’s

surprise package.

With 14 games remaining, the 33-year-old has already surpassed his previous record of 14 and is having the most

productive year of his career at this level.

Prior to his sale more than three years ago, the New Zealander was a vital member of Burnley’s team, and Sean

Dyche’s team suffered as a result of his absence.

Season	Appearances (Starts)	Goals (Assists)
Chris Wood – Nottingham Forest league goals and appearances (per Fbref.com)
2023-24	31 (20)	14 (1)
2024-25	24 (23)	17 (2)
As of February 5th

Wood was replaced by Wout Weghorst, but the Dutchman couldn’t match Wood’s goal-scoring prowess.

Weghorst only managed two goals in 20 games, and Burnley was rightfully sent to the Championship.

With the Clarets now caught in a yo-yo cycle between the top two levels, this resulted in promotion and another

relegation before returning to Parker’s current version of the squad.

Wood’s transfer to Newcastle didn’t work out either, but he has now found his scoring ways again at Forest under

Nuno Espirito Santo, scoring 31 goals in 55 Premier League games.

Burnley’s striker problem

In order to guarantee their promotion to the top flight this year, Burnley needs a prolific striker like Wood.

Their top scorer right now is Josh Brownhill, who has nine goals overall—two of which were penalties.

Given the strength of their backline, it is obvious that a player of Wood’s calibre would propel them to the top of the

standings.

Rather, they are now up against fierce opposition from Sunderland, Leeds United, and Sheffield United, and there is

no assurance that they will regain their Premier League standing on their first try.

During the January transfer window, Burnley was unable to solve this issue in particular; the attempt to bring Ashley

Barnes back to the team served as a stark reminder of how serious the issue is.

Wood’s recent hat-trick against Brighton and his ongoing excellent play will hurt, and the Clarets will probably now

regret that trade with Newcastle.

Burnley is in a precarious situation in the Championship and might face a play-off where anything could happen,

while Forest is vying for a return to Europe’s top stage.