Peril of relegation sharpens reality of Burnley’s survival fight

Looming loan repayments and an impending squad rebuild have heightened concerns of what relegation to the Championship would mean for Burnley

Turf war: Burnley have two games to save their Premier League status (Getty)

The calculations are relatively straightforward for Burnley, in one respect at least. A win away at Aston Villa tonight would be a major step towards avoiding relegation. A draw would lift Mike Jackson’s side above the dotted line and leave it all to play for on the final day. But a defeat would leave them relying on a favour to retain the top-flight status that they cannot afford to lose.

In that worst case scenario – relegation to the Championship and the end of their six-year stay in the Premier League – things become more complicated. Burnley’s first set of accounts since ALK Capital’s controversial takeover were published earlier this month and revealed what many feared could be a consequence of the £170m leveraged buyout.

As the accounts show, ALK’s takeover loaded £102m worth of debt onto a previously debt-free club and reduced healthy cash reserves of £81m down to £50m. More immediately concerning, though, was confirmation that ALK’s purchase was partly financed by a £65m loan from MSD Holdings, a private investment firm who have also lent money to Southampton, Sunderland and Derby County in recent years.