Burnley player who Ipswich Town nearly signed for £25m set for overseas transfer exit

Lyle Foster is closing in on a move to the USA - just two years after a proposed switch to Ipswich Town broke down

The EFL transfer window may have closed until January, but there are still some markets across the globe that are still open - and MLS outfit Houston Dynamo are set to take advantage of that by signing Burnley striker Lyle Foster.

The top league of the United States is no longer seen as a retirement home for some of the world's past great stars, even if there's still some older talents like Lionel Messi still plying their trade on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

MLS franchises are casting their net into Europe even more now given they have the finances to do so, signing players in the peak of their careers, such as Colorado Rapids swooping for Middlesbrough forward Morgan Whittaker in a near-£11 million deal.

Their transfer window closes at 00:00 on Thursday, September 3, leaving not very long to get their final deals done, but another franchise is set to swoop for a Championship attacker.

Burnley striker set for Houston Dynamo switch

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According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, Houston Dynamo are set to bring in Burnley's South Africa international forward Lyle Foster before their deadline.

It is claimed that an initial loan deal with a $7 million (£5.2 million) buy option has been agreed between both clubs, and Foster will head to Texas to bolster the strike-force of Ben Olsen.

Dynamo currently sit fourth in the combined MLS table after 22 matches played and second in the Western Conference, only sitting behind Vancouver Whitecaps - who were runners-up to Inter Miami in the MLS play-offs last year to determine the winner of the season.

There are a handful of ex-EFL players plying their trade for Houston, including Jonathan Bond, Duane Holmes and one-time Leeds United prospect Mateusz Bogusz, and Foster is set to join them out in America for the rest of the 2026 season and beyond, with a new shorter season set to take place in early 2027 so that they can be aligned with Europe's major leagues from August 2027 onwards.

Lyle Foster nearly made £25m Ipswich Town move just two years ago

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25-year-old Foster is yet to appear for Burnley in any competition since the start of the 2026-27 season, having been made surplus to requirements by new head coach Nicky Hayen.

Foster has not been quite the goal threat that Burnley fans would've hoped in his three-and-a-half years since moving from Westerlo, scoring just twice in 28 appearances the last time they were in the Championship in 2024-25, and also finding the back of the net three times in the Premier League last season.

He was more fruitful in the 2023-24 Premier League season under Vincent Kompany, scoring five times for the Clarets, and that led to Ipswich Town trying to sign him for their own top flight campaign in the summer of 2024.

The Tractor Boys were on the verge of signing Foster two years ago on loan initially, with a mandatory purchase clause the following summer for a lofty fee of £25 million - the deal however ended up collapsing late on in the transfer window, and Foster remained in the second tier with the Clarets.

It's hard to say that Ipswich dodged a bullet in regards to Foster's scoring abilities - they were relegated from the top flight anyway that year, but it could've been a big mistake to sign the South African forward with such an obligation to buy him for a big price, and Burnley may always rue not getting that fee for him - even if FLW's past Burnley fan pundit claimed that they should have no regrets over it.

Burnley fans react to imminent Lyle Foster exit

Burnley fans were already frustrated to lose Zian Flemming on transfer deadline day to Ipswich Town, and they're now set to lose another centre-forward option, leaving Hayen with Armando Broja, Zeki Amdouni and Andreas Hountondji to choose from up-front.

Another Clarets supporter is in agreement that it would be smart business to let Foster depart, even though the $7 million fee is not guaranteed at the end of it.

Not all Clarets fans have been complimentary of Foster though, with this one happy to see him moving on.

And there's some surprise from sections of the fanbase that he may depart for $7 million at the end of the loan, when his recent showings may not have warranted it.