Burnley are reportedly in talks with Fenerbahce to sell Arijanet Muric with a new goalkeeper imminent.
The report comes from AS Marca Turkey who say that “Fenerbahçe started official talks with Burnley for 24-year-old goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.”
The report adds that Yann Sommer is the Super Big side’s top target but, if it doesn’t happen, Muric is expected to arrive instead.
This move would represent a huge profit on the £2.6m that Burnley paid Manchester City for Muric last summer. With a market value of £10.2m, Burnley could be quadrupling their money.
Muric was pivotal for Burnley in their Championship title win, keeping 19 clean sheets in 41 games, along with only conceding 31.
In what is a summer of change at Turf Moor, this will likely be one of the best deals despite his popularity within the fanbase and with the manager.
Vincent Kompany attributed a lot to Muric, in October 2022. He said, “I don’t know of any season where you get to the end and don’t look back at these kinds of moments, with a keeper who has made big saves.
“He did it for us today, and we got a clean sheet because of it.”
How Burnley can replace Muric
With Muric looking set to depart, the arrival of James Trafford makes a lot of sense. The two goalkeepers are both products of the Manchester City academy, which explains the similarities in their game.
Both are excellent shot stoppers, along with having the ability to play out from the back. Importantly, the acquisition of Trafford allows Burnley to maintain their style and identity. Due to both having a similar football upbringing, the transition should also be relatively seamless.
Muric is arguably the better goalkeeper currently, having performed at a higher level. However, Trafford was the best goalkeeper in League One last season leading Bolton to the playoffs despite not gaining promotion.
Burnley’s moneyball style recruitment has paid off again. However, they will need Trafford to quickly become the player he promises to be with little time for adjustment in the Premier League.
At just 20, Trafford will likely turn out to become a top signing for Burnley, especially considering Kompany’s talent identification demonstrated so far.