What Burnley's Maxime Esteve has recently said about his future amid transfer links
After clinching promotion to the Premier League with 100 points to their name, it’s to be expected that Burnley will have to fend off interest in some of their star players.
The likes of James Trafford, CJ Egan-Riley and Josh Brownhill have all been linked elsewhere since the 2024/25 campaign has come to a close.
Another man who continues to attract admiring glances is the club’s player of the season Maxime Esteve.
The Frenchman, who was part of a defence that kept 30 clean sheets and conceded just 16 times last season, is said to be on the radar of both Everton and Tottenham.
L’Equipe, meanwhile, have since suggested FA Cup winners Crystal Palace also hold an interest, as do Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich, although not to the same extent as the Premier League outfit.
Burnley will be keen to keep hold of their defender, who arrived at Turf Moor in January 2024 from Ligue 1 side Montpellier.
Speaking to the Burnley Express in April, meanwhile, Esteve spoke of his deep affection for Burnley.
“I am a Burnley player, I love this club and I'm very, very good here,” he said.
“So I don't think about nothing, nowhere, I just think about football in Burnley and finish the season very well. That's the most important, finishing in the Premier League. That's the objective. I just think about this.”
After promotion was confirmed, Esteve also penned an end-of-season message where he spoke of his excitement at returning to the Premier League.
"Where we deserve to be!”, he wrote on Instagram.
"An incredible season – centurions, the record for clean sheets, goals conceded and above all the return to the Premier League that we had promised you.
"Thank you for all your magnificent support throughout the year, both at Turf Moor and on the road.
"I look forward to seeing you again for another exciting season. Up the Clarets!”
Esteve’s social media message came just a week after the Frenchman had fuelled speculation about a potential departure.
In an interview with French outlet Foot Mercato, the 22-year-old spoke of his ambitions to play for a “top six” Premier League side.
“When I was young, I dreamed of playing in the Premier League,” he said. “I watched basically just that on the TV.
"My dream is to play for a top-six team in England. I wouldn’t say there is any club in particular but my dream is to go there.”
The centre-back, who has already been linked with Tottenham in the past, picked out current and former Spurs players as individuals who have provided him with inspiration.
He added: “My favourite player [when I was young] was Gareth Bale when he was playing at Tottenham because when I was younger, I was a left-winger and a left-back.
“There is a player that I like a lot in the Premier League that not everyone talks about – Micky van de Ven. He is very quick and I like him a lot because I think that I have the same speedy qualities, even if he is a lot quicker. I’m inspired by him because he is a player who is of a similar profile to me.”