Oli McBurnie could find himself back in the Championship very soon, but where the Scotsman will end up is still up in the air. Following five seasons with Sheffield United, McBurnie departed South Yorkshire following the conclusion of the 2023/24 season at the end of his contract with the Blades.
Surprisingly, he would head to Spain, signing for Las Palmas as they headed into a second successive season in La Liga. However, this second consecutive season would be their last in the top flight for the time being, as they finished in 19th place and were relegated.
McBurnie would end the season as the club’s joint 4th top goal scorer with only 3 goals, level with defender Alex Munoz. Fellow ex-Premier League forwards Fabio Silva and Sandro Ramirez, as well as winger Alberto Moleiro, would all finish above McBurnie in the clubs scoring charts.
To give McBurnie his credit, he would lead the club in assists with 6, twice as many as any other player. Despite signing a 3-year deal in Spain, he is without a club after only 1, so who will be the next club to sign him?
Hull City
It was reported that Hull City were in pole position to secure the signature of the 29-year-old but following the announcement that the Tigers have been hit with a transfer embargo until January 2027, the move has stalled. As McBurnie is available on a free transfer, Hull would still be able to sign him, but the embargo has made the deal more difficult.
Without question Hull need to score more goals. They were the lowest scorers in the Championship last season, with only 44 goals to their name. The club’s top scorer from last season, Joao Pedro, has now left the club, as has loanee Joe Gelhardt who was joint second on that list.
Given the lack of options available to Hull, they could certainly do worse than McBurnie. A guaranteed starter who is a real handful for defenders and knows the league very well. I’m not sure how well he would fit the high energy, pressing style of new manager Sergej Jakirovic, but given the circumstances he could still be a solid signing.
Swansea City
The side that is now seemingly leading the race for McBurnie’s signature is one of his former clubs, Swansea City. McBurnie signed for the Swans in 2015, scoring 22 goals in 58 games during his time there, before departing for Sheffield United. Should he sign re-sign for Swansea, he would more than likely start but could face competition from Zan Vipotnik who scored 7 goals in his debut season. Liam Cullen could also give McBurnie competition up front but this is unlikely given how the Welshman flourished in a deeper role last season.
A move back to Wales would surely be more appealing to McBurnie. Looking at last season’s table, Swansea finished 10 places above Hull who only stayed up on goal difference. In addition, Swansea have already completed some impressive transfer business, including the acquisitions of Cameron Burgess and Ethan Galbraith, whereas Hull now face a transfer embargo. If Hull are able to successfully appeal the embargo, that move does become far more appealing, but will it be enough to tempt McBurnie to the club? It’s up to the Scotsman to decide.
