Burnley are hoping to get a deal done for Chelsea left back Ian Maatsen amid links with a move to West
Ham United.
Chelsea talent Ian Maatsen could make a return to Burnley as they seek to beat West Ham United to his signature.
That is according to a report from The Sun, who claim that Burnley are pushing to re-sign Maatsen.
The Clarets took Maatsen on loan last season and he played a key role in their promotion to the Premier League.
Maatsen was given the freedom to fly forward under Vincent Kompany and he chipped in with four goals as well as six
assists.
Burnley understandably want to bring Maatsen back to Turf Moor and want to do a deal worth around £10million plus add-
ons.
Maatsen is out of contract in 2024 and Burnley are hoping that Chelsea will now choose to cash in.
That may not be quite what Chelsea want though – and Burnley will seemingly face a battle yet…
West Ham United also keen on Ian Maatsen
The Athletic reported last week that West Ham are interested in taking Maatsen to East London.
However, the report did add that Chelsea are seeking around £20million for Maatsen – some way north of the deal Burnley
want to offer.
Nobody has bitten at that price just yet though and there may be hope that Chelsea can be talked down to a lower fee yet.
West Ham did sign a left back from Chelsea last summer as Emerson Palmieri joined David Moyes’ side.
Yet with Aaron Cresswell wanted at Wolves, West Ham are looking at younger left back options who can make a difference
for years to come.
Maatsen certainly fits that bill and appears to have huge potential at just 21.
West Ham will face a real fight for Maatsen, who may soon need to decide between returning to Burnley or playing in
Europe with West Ham.
READ MORE:
“I’d be standing firm” – Burnley make multi-million pound Sunderland move: The verdict
According to Teamtalk, the Clarets have offered in excess of £10 million for the 22-year-old.
The winger has attracted a lot of attention following his performances in the Championship last season.
Clarke helped Sunderland earn a top six finish, reaching the play-offs in their first campaign back in the second tier.
Were Sunderland right to turn down a £10 million offer for Jack Clarke?
Clarke contributed nine goals and 11 assists in the league, becoming one of the standout performers as Burnley themselves
won the title.
Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on whether Sunderland have made the right decision to turn down a £10 million
offer for the Englishman…
Declan Harte
Last season, Clarke finally delivered on a lot of the promise he initially showed when he first burst onto the scene with Leeds
several years ago.
The winger posed a dangerous threat going forward from out wide and through the middle, becoming one of Sunderland’s
top goal scorers in the process.
Clarke was pivotal to Sunderland competing for promotion to the Premier League last year.
So an offer in excess of £10 million is a worthwhile value of his talent based on how his stock rose over the last 12 months.
The decision to turn it down has reportedly upset the player, seeing it as turning their back on a promise made to accept an
offer of this size.
That is a huge risk for Sunderland to take, and presumably has been done because they believe Burnley will offer more with
a followup bid.
If the Clarets can raise that to between £12 and 15 million then Sunderland will have little choice but to accept.
Even £10 million would be a great fee to receive from Burnley, so this feels like a deal that could very much still happen.
While it would be a blow to Tony Mowbray’s side to lose the 22-year-old, this is the business model Sunderland have built,
so it comes with the territory to lose their best players each summer.
Tony Mowbray has been proactive in the transfer market for Sunderland
Sam Rourke
I can fully understand why Sunderland are playing hard ball with Jack Clarke.
The 22-year-old is undoubtedly one of Sunderland’s brightest sparks and he proved integral to the Black Cats’ play-off push
last season, and you’d image he will have a similar effect this term.
Burnley are very keen on Clarke and it’s clear to see why but Sunderland, for me, have made the right call in rejecting the
Clarets’ £10m offer for him.
He’s a player that should be commanding a fee of atleast £15m given you’ve got the likes of Alex Scott at Bristol City being
courted for fees in the region of £30m.
Until a bid comes in that exceeds £15m, I’d be standing firm If I was Sunderland as Clarke is going to be a player that could
make all the difference as Tony Mowbray’s side aim to go one better and seal promotion this season.
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