Burnley have completed the signing of midfielder Danny Drinkwater on loan until January from Chelsea.
A club statement read: "Burnley Football Club is delighted to have completed the capture of Danny Drinkwater to add another Premier League winner to their squad.
Drinkwater – a key player in Leicester City’s epic 2016 title triumph – has joined the Clarets on loan from Chelsea in a deal running until 6 January.
The central midfield player, who has also been capped three times by England, returns to the North West after starting his career at Manchester United.
Drinkwater didn’t make a senior appearance for United but gained first-team experience during loan spells at Huddersfield, Cardiff, Watford – at a time when Clarets boss Sean Dyche was assistant manager at Vicarage Road – and Barnsley.
The 29-year-old then left Old Trafford in a permanent move to Leicester in January, 2012.
His career took off with the Foxes, where he became a near permanent fixture in the starting line-up and helped the club regain their place in the top-flight for the first time in 10 years in 2014 when going up alongside Burnley as Championship winners. Drinkwater helped Leicester survive in the Premier League under Nigel Pearson in 2014/15 thanks to a remarkable late run of results.
And then following the appointment of Claudio Ranieri, the Manchester-born midfield man played a leading role in one of the greatest title wins of all time.
Drinkwater started 35 Premier League games as Leicester defied the odds to become English champions for the first time in their history.
He also made three England appearances ahead of the European Championship Finals before missing out on a place in the final squad for France, 2016.
After helping Leicester recover to finish 14th in the Premier League in 2016/17, Drinkwater was signed by champions Chelsea at the end of the 2017 summer transfer window – leaving the King Power Stadium after playing 214 times for the Foxes.
In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Drinkwater made 22 appearances, helping the Blues towards their FA Cup-winning success and featuring in a last-16 Champions League tie against Barcelona.
He then appeared as a substitute in the 2018 Community Shield at Wembley before falling out of first-team contention under newly-appointed manager Maurizio Sarri.
Following another change of management at Chelsea this summer, Drinkwater has been allowed to move out.
And his arrival at Turf Moor – where he will squad number eight – comes as a coup for the Clarets as they strengthen their midfield options ahead of a fourth successive season of Premier League football."
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