The Lower Tiers understands that Swindon Town, Wigan Athletic, Walsall and Fleetwood Town are targeting Burnley striker Joe Westley on a permanent deal.
The 20-year-old currently has one more year left on his contract. Therefore, a small fee could tempt Burnley to sell in order to prevent Westley leaving for free next summer.
Return to Swindon Town?
It’s currently unknown who the current front runners are. However, Joe Westley spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Swindon Town.
His workrate and willingness to constantly improve impressed the Swindon hierarchy and their supporters. Both seem keen to bring Westley back to the club permanently.
The young prospect scored three goals in 17 League Two appearances for The Robins. A good record for a young striker in League Two which clearly alerted other clubs.
During his time at Swindon, Joe Westley stated that manager, Ian Holloway, was a key part in him joining Swindon Town: “It’s a massive club for that league and the manager, Ian Holloway, was a massive part of why I went.
“He taught me a lot about myself as a player and as a person. He’s managed in the Premier League so there are not many people better to learn off than him.”
Joe Westley’s Career So Far
During the first half of the 2024/25 season, Joe Westley spent a month on loan at National League side Rochdale. However, he only went on to make three league appearances for The Dale before rejoining his parent club after the expiry of the loan deal.
This wasn’t Westley’s first loan move. In January 2024, a year after turning professional, he was loaned out to AFC Fylde in the National League. It’s safe to say that this went better than his time at Rochdale. The striker netted three goals in 13 games.
What’s next for Joe Westley?
The son of legendary EFL manager Graham Westley hinted that he could be on the move this summer during an interview for the Burnley Express earlier this year: “I’ll come back into pre-season as fit and as sharp as I can be and will see what happens from there.”
The Lower Tiers will keep you updated on this situation as it unfolds.
