Burnley have been told how much they would have to pay €10m to land Aster Vranckx this summer, according to a
report from DH, via Sport Witness.
Who is Aster Vranckx?
The 20-year-old currently plays for Wolfsburg in Germany, but didn’t spend the 2022/23 campaign with the club. Instead,
he was sent out on a season-long loan deal to AC Milan, and he featured more for the Italian outfit than he had managed
with the Bundesliga club last campaign.
Wolfsburg gave him only one league outing before his move, while the Serie A club played him on nine occasions in the
league with two of those coming from the start. It meant the midfielder spent most of his time sidelined and managed no
goals or assists, but earned some valuable experience in a high level side – Milan made the last four of the Champions
League.
Having been given his debut for Wolfsburg in his teens, he has also showcased an ability to perform in a top league. When he
first arrived in Germany, he played 24 times in the Bundesliga for them and even chipped in with two goals despite being
just 18 at the time. Prior to that, he had also impressed with Mechelen in Belgium – he made his debut for the First Division
A side at just 16 and went on to play in 38 league games for them during his time there, with five goals and three assists.
Are Burnley signing Aster Vranckx?
Vranckx then is only relatively early on in his career but has already racked up over 50 league games in total. However, with
his gametime dipping at his parent club, it appears he could be available this summer and there is interest in his services.
According to a report from DH, via Sport Witness, the wonderkid is on the radar of Burnley in the Premier League but also
Fulham and PSV. It seems as though Wolfsburg are prepared to let him leave, as he isn’t a part of their plans at the club and
a deal could therefore happen.
No official bid has been made by any of the aforementioned teams – it seems to be just interest at this point – but the German
outfit have already slapped a 10 million Euro (£8.6m) price tag on his head should any offers come in. It means the Clarets
would need to stump up a fair amount of cash to sign the youngster.
He already appears to have caught the eye of those who have watched him. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has highlighted
Vranckx as part of what he describes as a “superb generation” of talent in midfield for his country Belgium.
Vranckx has already managed two caps for his national team, and the potential appears to be there for the 20-year-old to
perhaps play a prominent part for them in the future. If Burnley did snap him up then, it appears they could be landing a
real gem – it’s just whether they would be prepared to take such an expensive gamble by their standards.
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Seven-figure fee agreed as Coventry City swoop for Burnley player
Coventry City are no stranger to having Burnley interested in their players, but they are turning the table
on the Clarets in recent times.
The Championship title winners aggressively pursued attacking midfielder Callum O’Hare from the Sky Blues last summer,
but a hamstring injury put paid to their plans to bring him to Turf Moor.
They also held a long-standing interest in Viktor Gyokeres before his move to Sporting CP and now Vincent Kompany is
keen on Gustavo Hamer, making the Dutchman one of his top targets for the engine room this summer.
It has been mooted that Burnley may look to use a player or two in exchange to try and bring Hamer in from the CBS Arena,
with Luke McNally one individual of interest to Mark Robins following a loan stint last season in which the Irishman
performed impeccably well.
The other name that was speculated was that of Bobby Thomas, another centre-back with lots of potential, but the latest
update on that front suggests that he will not be a part of any potential package for Hamer.
What is the latest on Coventry City’s interest in Bobby Thomas?
According to a report from the Sky Sports Transfer Centre, Coventry have agreed a fee with Burnley for Thomas which looks
separate to any Hamer deal that could be agreed.
It is said that the Sky Blues have agreed a £2 million fee for the 22-year-old – who has less than 12 months remaining on his
contract at Burnley – as they continue to spend the money that they have made from Gyokeres’ departure to Portugal.
Coventry will now have to agree personal terms with Thomas and he will have to undergo and pass a medical before the deal
is completed, but defence is an area that City need to bolster further despite the recent addition of Joel Latibeaudiere, with
the Jamaica international and Kyle McFadzean being the only available senior options at the club.
Who is Bobby Thomas?
After spending time with the academies of Everton and Crewe Alexandra, Chester-born Thomas joined Burnley’s youth
setup in 2017 as a 16-year-old.
He had to wait until September 2020 though for his first senior appearance for the Clarets, some 18 months after signing a
professional contract at the club with his only experience of men’s football being a loan stint with non-league Kendal Town.
Thomas featured against Millwall in the EFL Cup in his one and only Burnley appearance, but later on that season he went
on loan to Barrow of League Two, where he played 21 times.
Remaining at Burnley for the 2021-22 season as a backup defender, Thomas’ only appearances came for the under-21’s but
the decision was made on transfer deadline day last September for Thomas to spend the 2022-23 season with Bristol Rovers.
His performances for the Gas caught the eye of Barnsley midway through the season, so Burnley recalled Thomas and sent
him to Oakwell, taking him from being managed by one ex-Claret in Joey Barton to another in Michael Duff.
Thomas was part of Barnsley’s starting 11 regularly that got to the League One play-off final and over the course of the
League One season for both clubs he netted seven times in 44 appearances.
The central defender will now take a further step up to the Championship with Coventry as Burnley cash in on a player they
developed in their own academy.
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