Burnley about to lose key man as newly-promoted Premier League outfit 'agree fee' for goalkeeper
Burnley could be about to lose goalkeeper Arijanet Muric to newly-promoted outfit Ipswich Town.
Multiple outlets are reporting that the Tractor Buys have agreed a fee with Burnley for the 25-year-old’s services.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein, who first reported the news, claims the fee is an initial £8 which could eventually rise to £10m in add-ons.
Others, however, including BBC Sport and the Daily Mail, suggest the initial fee is actually £10m, rising to a potential £15m.
Either way, it looks like the Clarets are about to lose one of their key man, despite the Kosovan being under contract in East Lancashire until 2026.
While it will come as a blow, his departure won’t come as a major surprise after it was recently reported Muric had informed the club he wanted to leave.
Muric played a key role in his debut season at the club following his £3m move from Manchester City, who are expected to benefit financially from his move.
He made 41 Championship appearances as Vincent Kompany’s men romped to the title and was named in the division’s team of the season.
James Trafford controversially took his number one spot in the Premier League, before eventually reclaiming his jersey when Trafford was dropped in March.
The stopper started the final 10 games of the Premier League and still managed to impress despite two high-profile errors in back-to-back games against Everton and Brighton respectively.
Muric is likely to be the number one at Portman Road after last season’s keeper Vaclav Hladky departed the club after being unable to reach an agreement over a new contract.
As for Burnley, it remains to be seen what will happen with the goalkeeping department given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Trafford’s future too.
The 21-year-old looked set to join Newcastle United but that move has since stalled after the two parties were unable to agree a fee. Chelsea have also been strongly linked with the England Under-21 international.
Fellow goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell also departed Turf Moor to join Birmingham City in a permanent deal. Former Leyton Orient stopper Lawrence Vigouroux is still on the books.