The Clarets had won all four of their behind-closed-doors games prior to last night’s first public
outing of the summer, which they lost 2-0 at the Cegeka Arena.
Kompany’s men were the better side during the first-half and were unfortunate to be trailing at the break, but in the second-half they were stretched by a Genk side that are in Champions
League qualifying action on Tuesday.
Delivering his verdict after the game, Kompany told Clarets+: “It was a good one for fitness and in the
end we didn’t play too bad, especially in the start.
“If you look at the last 15 minutes, it paints a little bit of a different picture. But if you look at the start of
the game and everything before it was an okay performance.
“You have to look at bringing the new players in and they’re about to start the season on Tuesday,
whereas for us it’s still about integrating the new players and a lot of work on the training ground.
“These games are really important for us. A lot of the lads got 90 minutes, which was the first for most of
them and that’s what we wanted.”
Saturday’s friendly ended what has been a busy week for the Premier League newboys, bringing in three
new players in three days in Zeki Amdouni, Nathan Redmond and James Trafford.
Two of those featured against Genk in Amdouni and Trafford, the latter playing the full 90 minutes while
Amdouni was brought off the bench late on.
“James is a sound lad, he’s got a bright future and I think he’s going to help us with his performances
soon and hopefully now,” Kompany added.
“In the end there’s no doubt he’s talented and what he can become as a goalkeeper and I think a lot of
the lad.
“As for Zeki, he’s been here for two days, so it’s just about getting minutes on the pitch.
“We’ve got a game against Benfica (on Tuesday) as well, plus a game (against Real Betis) on Friday, so
that’s the priority now.”
READ MORE:
Burnley: “Relentless” Luca Koleosho could get most out of Amdouni
Burnley have already brought in four new faces this summer and could be about to add another in
Espanyol winger Luca Koleosho.
Burnley have bolstered a squad that ran away with the Championship title last season, but Vincent
Kompany’s transfer business does not appear to be over just yet.
Which players have left Burnley?
The Clarets collected 101 points from their 46 matches last season to ensure a swift return to the Premier
League in Kompany’s first season in charge.
Ashley Barnes has since swapped Turf Moor for Norwich City, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis has returned
to parent club Manchester City, with no sign of a return being on the cards.
Kompany has acted swiftly to plug the gaps, though, as defender Dara O’Shea, forward Zeki Amdouni,
winger Nathan Redmond and goalkeeper James Trafford have all arrived, while Michael Obafemi and
Jordan Beyer have turned their loan moves into permanent acquisitions.
Another winger could now be on their way to the newly-promoted side, as BBC Sport reports
that Burnley are in advanced talks with Espanyol to sign Luca Koleosho, who is valued in the region of
£2.6m.
Who is Espanyol winger Luca Koleosho?
Koleosho made just four appearances for Espanyol in La Liga last season, each of those coming from the
substitutes’ bench as he totalled just 54 minutes on the field, as per Soccerway.
The 18-year-old scored once for Espanyol, who finished 19th and were subsequently relegated to the
Segunda Division, meaning they may have to cash in on some players – Koleosho among them.
United States-born Koleosho put that disappointment behind him by featuring five times for Italy in
their successful U19 European Championship triumph last week.
While still relatively unknown and untested, Koleosho has shown he is capable of finding the net at the
highest level, scoring as he did in Espanyol’s 3-3 draw with Almeria on the final day of last season.
Koleosho can play through the middle, on the left or indeed on the right, with the latter where he has
featured most regularly. The youngster registered 4.29 crosses per 90 minutes last season, as per FBref,
albeit over a small sample size.
To put that into some perspective, only Johann Berg Gudmundsson (5.37), Manuel Benson (6.51) and
Anass Zaroury (6.74) averaged more for Burnley in the Championship last season.
Koleosho was also successful with 5.71 take-ons per 90 last season, compared to 2.17 for Burnley’s best-
performing regular first-teamer in Benson, though the latter did play substantially more minutes.
Still, it gives a good indication of what Koleosho is all about, and it could be particularly good news for
new recruit Amdouni. The Switzerland international was joint-top scorer in the Europa Conference
League with seven goals last season.
Amdouni has work to do if he is to become Kompany’s first choice up top, of course, but he could form a
strong partnership with Koleosho, who has previously been hailed as “relentless” by his mother Melissa
Vallera-Koleosho in an interview with The Athletic.
With that type of fighting spirit, and an ability to make an impact at the highest level at a young age,
Burnley may be about to add another gem to a squad that looks more than capable of avoiding an instant
relegation.
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