LancsLive journalist Alex James has shared what he knows about Burnley's pursuit of Manchester City striker Liam Delap.

The Lowdown: Plenty of interest

The highly-rated 19-year-old has worked his way up through the ranks at the Etihad, but Pep Guardiola’s side now want to send him out on loan to further his development and gain some valuable first-team experience.

Several clubs have been linked with a move for the forward, including Southampton and Newcastle United, but reports suggested that both approaches had been turned down, with City only willing to let him leave on a temporary basis rather than permanently.

It’s believed that the top-flight giants would prefer their starlet - who Guardiola called 'special' - to have a loan in the Championship, with both the Clarets and Stoke City name-checked as potential suitors.

The Latest: Delap latest

Taking to Twitter, James insisted that Burnley are likely to still be in search of a new attacker, and said they could even be ‘favourites’ for Delap’s signature. He wrote:

“Delap an interesting one as you sense he's likely to end up on loan in the Championship and on the face of it Burnley would be favourites given style, Kompany etc. Will see what if I can find out a bit more detail this week. For me, Burnley still need a striker.”

The Verdict: Game-changing signing for Burnley

Delap is a very sought-after player, and the proof is in the pudding given he managed to make ten goal contributions in the same number of Premier League 2 games last term, via Transfermarkt, missing some of the season through injury.

Trying to fend off competitors for his services won’t be an easy job, but Vincent Kompany already has existing connections to City from his time at the club, so this could play a significant role in any possible deal getting finalised.

If Burnley were to be the ones to land him, it would be a massive coup for the Clarets and a signing that could be enough to help take them back up to the top-flight.