Sunderland May Have Dodged a £10m Transfer Bullet After Burnley’s Shock Marcus Edwards Decision

Sunderland may have every reason to count their blessings after the latest twist in Marcus Edwards’ career at Burnley.

The winger was once a serious target for the Black Cats, with Sunderland exploring a move for Edwards before Burnley eventually secured his signature. At the time, the transfer appeared to be a significant opportunity for the former Sporting CP star.

But more than a year later, the situation looks very different.

Burnley have now made the shock decision to leave Edwards out of their 25-man squad for their Championship campaign, raising fresh questions about his future and leaving Sunderland supporters wondering what might have happened had the club managed to complete the deal.

Burnley make shock Marcus Edwards decision

Burnley’s decision to omit Edwards is arguably one of the biggest surprises from their latest squad submission.

The 27-year-old is not the only senior player missing from Burnley’s squad. Mike Tresor, Bashir Humphreys, Michael Obafemi, Jordan Beyer, Shurandy Sambo, Ashley Barnes and Ben Amos were also left out.

However, Edwards’ absence stands out given the circumstances surrounding his move to Turf Moor.

The winger initially joined Burnley from Sporting CP on loan in January 2025 before making the move permanent during the following summer for a reported £9.4 million.

That investment suggested Burnley saw Edwards as an important part of their plans.

Yet his time at the club has failed to produce the kind of numbers many would have expected.

Across 47 appearances in all competitions, Edwards has recorded just three goals and seven assists.

Those figures tell their own story.

Although he played a role in Burnley’s promotion campaign, his overall contribution has left plenty of room for debate, and his latest omission represents another major setback.

Why has Edwards been left out?

Burnley head coach Nicky Hayen was asked about Edwards and the other players who were omitted from the squad.

His explanation was brief.

“We’re just looking for the 25-man squad.”

Burnley have ultimately submitted a squad containing only 24 players, leaving one space available for a potential free-agent signing.

That decision has become even more significant following the arrival of experienced striker Jamie Vardy.

The former Leicester City striker joined Burnley as a free agent after leaving Cremonese, and the 39-year-old has been selected ahead of Edwards.

For a player who cost Burnley around £9.4 million, being left outside the squad is a major development.

And for Sunderland, it could provide an interesting perspective on a transfer saga that never reached its intended conclusion.

Sunderland wanted Edwards before Burnley

Before Burnley secured Edwards, Sunderland had already shown interest in bringing the winger to Wearside.

At the time, Régis Le Bris was looking to strengthen his attacking options, and Edwards was viewed as a potential addition who could provide creativity and quality in the final third.

However, the move never materialised.

Burnley eventually won the race for his signature, leaving Sunderland to pursue other options.

The Black Cats eventually brought in Jayden Danns on loan from Liverpool.

Unfortunately for Sunderland, that move did not work out either, with Danns suffering an injury shortly after arriving and failing to make an appearance for the club.

But despite missing out on Edwards and seeing the Danns loan fail to deliver, Sunderland could now look back at the Edwards situation with a different perspective.

Because while Burnley believed they were getting a player capable of making a difference, his time at Turf Moor has not developed as expected.

Edwards helped Burnley — but struggled for consistency

It would be unfair to suggest Edwards contributed nothing to Burnley’s rise.

He was involved during the club’s promotion campaign and recorded one goal and one assist in 14 league appearances as Burnley returned to the Premier League.

However, the bigger picture has been far less impressive.

Three goals and seven assists in 47 appearances across all competitions represents a relatively modest return for an attacking player who arrived for a substantial transfer fee.

Edwards has frequently shown flashes of his ability, but consistency has been a major issue.

That may explain why Burnley have now decided to leave him outside their Championship squad.

The decision could potentially force Edwards to consider his future before the January transfer window, unless another opportunity becomes available.

Sunderland may now feel they got lucky

Had Sunderland completed the deal, Edwards’ career could have followed a completely different path.

Perhaps working under Le Bris and playing regularly on Wearside would have brought the best out of him.

Perhaps Edwards would have become an important player for Sunderland as they continued their development.

But there is no way of knowing.

Transfers are ultimately judged by what happens after the player arrives, and the evidence from Edwards’ time at Burnley suggests Sunderland may not have missed out on the superstar they once hoped to sign.

Instead, they may have avoided spending close to £10 million on a player who has subsequently found himself outside his club’s squad.

That is the twist Sunderland supporters could hardly have predicted when the Black Cats were initially interested.

A transfer Sunderland may no longer regret

Football can change incredibly quickly.

A transfer that looks like a missed opportunity one year can suddenly look like a lucky escape the next.

That appears to be the case with Sunderland and Marcus Edwards.

The Black Cats wanted the winger, but Burnley ultimately got their man.

Now Edwards has been left out of Burnley’s 25-man Championship squad, while Sunderland can look at the situation from the outside.

There is still time for Edwards to change the narrative around his Burnley career. A move elsewhere could give him the opportunity to rebuild his reputation and rediscover the form that once made him such an attractive target.

But for Sunderland, the latest development provides an intriguing “what if?”

What if Edwards had chosen Wearside instead?

Would he have become a key player for Le Bris?

Would Sunderland have received much more from him than Burnley have?

Or would the same problems have followed him to the Stadium of Light?

Nobody can know for certain.

But with Burnley now leaving their £9.4 million signing out of the squad, Sunderland supporters may well look back at the failed transfer and conclude that missing out was not such a bad thing after all.

Sunderland may have lost the transfer battle — but they could ultimately have won the bigger battle by avoiding the risk.