Lokomotiv Moscow join race for Burnley outcast Vydra
Russian outfit Lokomotiv Moscow are reportedly keen to add forgotten Burnley forward Matej Vydra to their ranks.
Czech striker Vydra has endured a miserable 18-month stint in Lancashire after making the move from Championship side Derby County in the summer of 2018.
Following a 21-goal haul for the Rams in the 2017-18 season, Burnley parted with an undisclosed fee thought to be around £11million to bring him to the club.
However, he has never established himself as a first-choice player at Turf Moor, with Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes and Jay Rodriguez all ahead of him in the pecking.
This season has yielded even less football than last year, with the former Watford and West Brom forward failing to start a single game in the Premier League and only coming off the bench six times.
His prospects at Burnley look bleak and several clubs have been linked with making a move for him in recent months.
There was no deal in January but now Lokomotiv Moscow appear keen to do business with Burnley to sign the 27-year-old.
The Russian transfer window does not close until February 22, giving them an advantage over the rest of their European rivals.
Yuri Semin’s team are keen to bolster their ranks up front, particularly after striker Fedor Smolov was loaned to La Liga side Celta Vigo for the remainder of the season, and they have identified Vydra as one of their key targets.
It is unlikely the Clarets would allow him to leave the club at the present time unless a very good offer was made by Lokomotiv due to the lack of depth in the forward options.
Barnes has been absent since New Year’s Day after undergoing an operation on a troublesome hernia problem, leaving fewer players for manager Sean Dyche to choose from.
However, Lokomotiv are set to persist and Vydra is understood to be on a three-man shortlist.
Everton’s Oumar Niasse, who played for Lokomotiv between 2014 and 2016, is another player mentioned in the report.
