Maxime Esteve sends heartfelt message as emotional Burnley exit confirmed
Maxime Esteve has penned an earnest message after Burnley confirmed an exit amid speculation linking the Frenchman away from the club this summer.
Burnley sealed promotion back to the Premier League in April with a stellar defensive record that saw them finish as runners-up in the Championship after conceding just 16 goals all season.
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 after he had made his loan move from Montpellier a permanent one last summer following their relegation to the second-tier.
He proved his worth as one of the best young centre-backs in England throughout their promotion campaign, and Football Insider revealed in April that Premier League outfit Everton were plotting a summer move for Esteve, while former scout Mick Brown has also tipped Crystal Palace with interest in the Burnley centre-back.
Tottenham have been in talks to sign Esteve as Thomas Frank overhauls his defence, and the French youth international has now released an emotional message after a Turf Moor departure was confirmed.
James Trafford shares heartfelt Burnley exit message
Burnley have been able to keep hold of Esteve for now, but his defensive colleague Trafford has departed the club to re-join Man City for £27million [Sky Sports], with the Clarets announcing his departure on Instagram on Tuesday (29 July), stating: “We can confirm the departure of James Trafford who leaves the club for a record transfer fee for a British goalkeeper. He will now join Manchester City in a move which becomes our Club record sale. Thank you and good luck James.”
Trafford made 73 appearances in two seasons for Burnley, and was a key part of their promotion last season, with his affection for the club clear to see in his parting message on Instagram after his exit was confirmed, as he said: “Burnley… what an incredible club! Over the past two years, I’ve had an amazing time, filled with experiences I’ll never forget and lessons I’ll always carry with me. I’m so grateful for it all…
“The lads are truly one of a kind, every day brought something to enjoy, from cricket and darts to playing the Traitors and making memories that will last a lifetime, both on and off the pitch…To the fans, thank you for the unforgettable moments…Wishing the club all the best for the season ahead. I’ll be watching and can’t wait to see you all again.”
His emotional message was met with numerous goodbye messages from Clarets players, with Esteve replying: “What a player” with a crying-face emoji, while Connor Roberts said: “Forever my favourite farmer,” and former Burnley man Josh Brownhill added: “What a bloke.” with numerous red heart emojis.
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.
Bayern Munich are also planning to bid to sign Esteve soon though, 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.
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.
With that said, they are probably much less likely to allow the Frenchman to leave this summer due to a number of their best players already leaving the club in Trafford, Brownhill and CJ Egan-Riley, so he could well be set to return to the top-flight with the Clarets in the new season.