With less than 36 hours until the summer transfer window closes, Burnley and Derby County are competing to capture Coventry City defender Jake Bidwell.

Following a lengthy search for a replacement for Scott Parker ahead of their return to the second tier, Burnley eventually settled on Nicky Hayen, the former Club Brugge and Genk manager.

However, the 46-year-old Belgian is already under pressure following the Clarets’ terrible start to the season. Penalties were necessary to upset Notts County in the first round of the EFL Cup, but a late and spirited comeback, driven by a Zian Flemming brace, earned a point against West Ham United on the season’s opening weekend.

Burnley has since been knocked out of the cup by League One side Bradford City, with the game sandwiched between a 3-1 loss at The Hawthorns to West Bromwich Albion and a 4-1 defeat to Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Derby missed out on the top six and play-off positions on the penultimate day of last season, and John Eustace believes his Rams team will compete for the top eight and extended play-off slots at the absolute least this season.

After starting the season with a 2-1 loss to Charlton Athletic despite holding a half-time lead at The Valley, they went on to draw 2-2 with Cardiff City before losing 3-0 at home to Swansea City.

Both teams may be reacting to what has been a dismal start to the season in the last hours of the transfer window, and Bidwell represents someone with potentially critical recent Championship championship winning experience.

Burnley and Derby want Jake Bidwell.

According to The Daily Mail, Coventry City left-back Jake Bidwell is garnering attention from Burnley and Derby before the transfer market closes.

According to the report, the Sky Blues will be willing to loan out the experienced defender, who made 14 appearances in the second tier last year.

Bidwell joined Coventry in January 2022 and has made over 150 appearances for the club. He previously played for Brentford, Queens Park Rangers, and Swansea after going through Everton’s youth.

Jake Bidwell’s career appearances

CLUB

GAMES

Everton 1 Brentford 211 Queens Park Rangers.

130

Swansea City 105

Coventry City

151

The defender appears to be on the fringes of Coventry’s first-team squad this season, following a busy summer of recruiting following their promotion last season.

Jay Dasilva is the first-choice left-back for the time being, although they have recently signed the versatile Stephen Mfuni on loan from Manchester City, who can play both center-back and left-back.

With Burnley’s rumoured interest in Manchester United defender Harry Amass, Derby might also have a free run at Bidwell.

Burnley and Derby need a left-back.

Burnley has plenty of diverse alternatives at left-back, but it is evident that they currently lack an out-and-out left-back.

Bashir Humphreys, a more usually used center-back, has played in that position this season, as has Peruvian international Oliver Sonne, who has spent the majority of his career at right-back.

Lucas Pires, a former Santos defender, is a left-back who played right-back at times in the Premier League last season, although he appears to be out of favour at the moment.

John Eustace switches between a back three and a four-at-the-back system, which appears to suit Bidwell well because he can also play as the left-sided defender in a three, similar to Craig Forsyth and Charlie Taylor – albeit Forsyth is now more of a pure center-back, leaving Taylor as the only man capable of covering left center-back, left-back, and left wing-back if necessary.

Derby require depth, but Burnley appear to merely need a body in that area, and Bidwell’s expertise appears to be a good fit for both teams.