Burnley have already made one signing in the January transfer window, bringing in David Datro Fofana from Chelsea on loan, but as we reach the final five days of the transfer window, the Clarets look far from done.
Vincent Kompany, trying to do all he can to keep his side in the Premier League, is keen on Ajax winger Carlos Forbs, again on an initial loan deal. Nottingham Forest are interested too, and it could come down to which club offers more first-team minutes.
Meanwhile, Kompany is also looking to strengthen at the other end of the field with a move for Montpellier defender Maxime Esteve. It emerged this week that the Clarets are working on a deal for one of their "main options", with Montpellier coming under pressure to sell as the player enters the final 18 months of his contract.
Speaking ahead of his side's game against Lille this weekend, manager Michel Der Zakarian was adamant that Esteve would feature and said that any departure wouldn't take place until the early part of next week.
Burnley now close to signing Esteve
According to a fresh update from French newspaper L'Equipe, Burnley are now on the verge of signing Esteve. The fee will be €12m, which works out as just over £10m.
Esteve is attracting interest from a number of teams, but Burnley have forged ahead and they are now close to completing an agreement for the centre-back.
"Dominant" Esteve can be a smart long-term addition
Now that Burnley are seemingly well on the road to landing Esteve, it's worth taking a look at what kind of player Kompany could be getting. Talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a "dominant" force at the back, and his numbers from this season support that assessment.
The table below shows how Esteve performs in some of the key metrics compared to fellow under-21 defenders in Ligue 1 (who have appeared in at least 10 games). You can see that he's comfortable and precise in possession and also smart in his positioning, which allows him to make a particularly high volume of clearances and interceptions.
Passing accuracy (%)
81
6th
Tackles per game
1.3
11th
Clearances per game
4.5
1st
Interceptions per game
1.6
3rd
Duels won (%)
55
7th
Aerial duels won (%)
59
6th
He's already prevailing in the majority of his duels, and that figure should improve as he becomes more experienced and continues to develop physically. Indeed, it's worth remembering that he's only 21 years old and has played just 60 first-team games at Montpellier so far.
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ByLuke RandallFeb 1, 2024
Twice capped by France's under-21 side, Esteve is a highly rated young defender who would be something of a coup for struggling Burnley. He'd be walking straight into a dogfight, but Montpellier themselves are only two points above the relegation places, so he's used to scrapping it out towards the bottom of the table.