Maxime Esteve reacts to Burnley post amid exit links, Hannibal sends 1-word response
Maxime Esteve and Hannibal Mejbri have both reacted to a recent post by Burnley on social media.
Burnley sealed promotion back to the Premier League in April with a stellar defensive record that saw them finish their second-tier season with just 16 goals conceded.
That total saw them clinch the record for least goals against in a single season in English football history, and French centre-back Esteve was a key part of their success under Scott Parker.
He first joined Burnley on loan from Ligue 1 outfit Montpellier in January last year, and he made that move a permanent one in the summer after their relegation to the Championship.
Esteve proved his worth as one of the best centre-backs in the second-tier throughout the last campaign, and his standout performances have seen numerous top clubs register their interest in his services with an exit possible this summer despite the Clarets’ top-flight status.
Maxime Esteve reacts to Burnley post as Vincent Kompany plots reunion at Bayern Munich
Football Insider revealed in April that Premier League outfit Everton were plotting a summer move for French youth international Esteve, and scout Mick Brown also recently tipped Crystal Palace with interest in the Burnley man’s services alongside the Toffees, with the Clarets believed to be open to a sale if significant offers were to arrive.
The 23-year-old is still at Turf Moor for now, but German giants Bayern Munich are also thought to be planning to bid for his signature soon, as revealed by Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, while Burnley have placed a sizeable £50million price tag on his head in the face of said interest.
Esteve would surely jump at the chance to join a club like Bayern, but for now he does seem content with his progress at Turf Moor, after reacting to a recent post from Burnley on Instagram that showed a highlight reel of his best moments from 2024/25 with a purple heart emoji and a like on the post.
The Clarets captioned their compilation with a message to the Frenchman by praising him as “a vital part of our return to the Premier League,” while teammate Hannibal backed up their praise by adding a comment, simply saying: “BOSS.”
Burnley should sell Esteve if their £50m price-tag is matched
Football Insider verdict
Esteve is undoubtedly a top defender that has the potential to get even better, and from a personal point of view, he would probably be best served spending another season with Burnley to get a full campaign’s worth of Premier League experience under his belt before he moves on to bigger things.
The chance to join a top club like Bayern does not come around too often, though, and if their interest is firmed up with a concrete offer to the Clarets for his services, he is sure to want to move to Germany to link back up with former boss Vincent Kompany as he looks to challenge for titles on both a domestic and European front.
| Appearances | Starts | Goals | Yellow cards |
| 46 | 46 | 1 | 3 |
It would be in Burnley’s best interests to accept an offer worth around £50m for his services too, as, despite his talent, that kind of money would represent a club-record sale and would go a long way to helping them bolster other areas of their squad in the transfer window.
Head-coach Parker has already spent a chunk of his transfer kitty, with the likes of Bashir Humphreys, Marcus Edwards, Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming all signing permanently after respective loan spells.
His main priority this summer will be keeping hold of first-choice keeper and key man James Trafford, with Football Insider recently revealing that Newcastle United are keen to overpay for his services, and so selling Esteve could mean that the Clarets keep hold of the England youth international, with the Frenchman likely to be easier to replace.