Burnley: Clarets exploring move to sign “composed” player
Burnley are already looking to sign a new defender but face competition from a number of Premier League rivals, according to a fresh report.
What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?
The Clarets once again had an extremely productive transfer window following their title-winning Championship campaign, bringing in 15 new players to Vincent Kompany’s side.
However, it has proven to be a tricky start to the new season, with defeats to Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United leaving them in the bottom three and winless in the top flight.
Time may well be needed for Kompany to get the best out of his current squad, but with the January transfer window fast approaching, it looks as if the club are already looking at potential additions for the second half of the campaign.
| Player | Former club | Fee |
| Zeki Amdouni | FC Basel | €18.6m |
| James Trafford | Manchester City | €17.3m |
| Aaron Ramsey | Aston Villa | €16.45m |
| Jordan Bayer | Borussia Monchengladbach | €15m |
| Sander Berge | Sheffield United | €13.9m |
| Wilson Odobert | Troyes | €12m |
| Dara O’Shea | West Brom | €7.8m |
| Michael Obafemi | Swansea City | €4m |
| Hannes Delcroix | RSC Anderlecht | €3m |
| Luca Koleosho | Espanyol | €3m |
| Nathan Redmond | Besiktas | Free transfer |
| Han-Noah Massengo | Bristol City | Free transfer |
| Lawrence Vigouroux | Leyton Orient | Free transfer |
| Mike Tresor | Genk | Loan transfer |
| Jacob Bruun Larsen | Hoffenheim | Loan transfer |
According to TEAMtalk, Burnley are one of five Premier League sides who are exploring a move to sign Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykola Matviyenko, with the player’s representatives looking at possible options.
Alongside those at Turf Moor, Crystal Palace, Everton, Sheffield United and West Ham are also keen on the defender.
Who is Mykola Matviyenko?
Matviyenko is primarily a centre-back but can also play as a left-back or right-back and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €20m Transfermarkt valuation.
The 27-year-old has progressed through the Shakhtar Donetsk academy and has gone on to make 175 senior appearances for the club, contributing to an impressive 22 goals.
The left-footed Ukraine international has impressed over the past 12 months, as per FBref, ranking highly for passes completed, clearances and passes blocked.
Journalist Andrew Todos recently claimed that Matviyenko is capable of operating in either a back four or a back three, describing him as a “composed and experienced centre-back”.
“Matviyenko is a composed and experienced centre-back, who comes across as very assured, especially when playing alongside younger teammates. As he started his career as a full-back, he’s got more pace than an average centre-back and this aids him quite a lot in recovery challenges.
“He rarely goes in for wild tackles that might result in bookings or penalties and one of his main strengths is blocking crosses or goalbound shots. He’s also very good at playing balls over the top, playing out from the back, and he’s versatile.
“In my opinion, he can be world-class when he plays in a formation with three defenders. If he plays in a back four, he should play alongside a tall defender who can help him. He is good as a centre-back but the best matches of his career were when he was in a back three and he played next to wing-backs.”
Kompany currently has six centre-back options in Jordan Beyer, Hjalmar Ekdal, Ameen Al-Dakhil, Dara O’Shea, CJ Egan-Riley and Hannes Delcroix, so you could argue that Matviyenko may not be needed.
However, if Burnley view the player as an upgrade at the back after conceding 13 times in their opening five games, then they could well look to push through a move, making this one to keep an eye on ahead of 2024.
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