Turf Moor seems to be in the midst of preparations.
According to a recent source, Burnley are already trying to add a new defender but are up against competition from many Premier League rivals
Following their championship-winning season, the Clarets once again had a very successful transfer window, adding 15 new players to Vincent Kompany’s squad.
The current season has, however, been difficult for them, as losses to Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham, and Manchester United have left them in the bottom three and winless in the Premier League.
Although it may take some time for Kompany to extract the most performance out of his current group of players, the January transfer window is quickly approaching, and it appears that the team is already considering prospective acquisitions for the second half of the season.
Player
previous club
Fee
Amdouni Zeki
Basel FC
€18.6m
Trafford, James
City of Manchester
€17.3m
Roger Ramsey
Stoke City
€16.45m
Jackson Bayer
Monchengladbach Borussia
€15m
Carl Berge
Steelers United
€13.9m
Wanger Odobert
Troyes
€12m
O’Shea, Dara
west ham
€7.8m
Obafemi Michael
City of Swansea
€4m
Thomas Delcroix
Anderlecht RSC
€3m
Ignacio Koleosho
Espanyol
€3m
Nick Redmond
Besiktas
no-cost transfer
Jonathan Massengo
Baltimore City
no-cost transfer
Richard Vigouroux
Orient Leyton
no-cost transfer
Tom Tresor
Genk
loan conversion
Larsen, Jacob Bruun
Hoffenheim
loan conversion
Burnley is one of five Premier League teams considering a move for Mykola Matviyenko of Shakhtar Donetsk, according to TEAMtalk, with the player’s representation examining potential options.
Along with Turf Moor, the defender is also coveted by Crystal Palace, Everton, Sheffield United, and West Ham.
Although he can also play as a left-back or right-back, Matviyenko is primarily a center-back. He now has a career-high €20 million Transfermarkt valuation, indicating that he is at the top of his game.
The 27-year-old advanced through the Shakhtar Donetsk youth before making 175 senior appearances and helping the team score an astounding 22 goals.
According to FBref, the left-footed Ukrainian international has made a strong impression in the past year, placing well for passes completed, clearances, and passes blocked.
According to journalist Andrew Todos, Matviyenko is a “composed and experienced center-back” who can play in either a back four or a back three.
“Matviyenko is a calm, seasoned center-back who exudes confidence, particularly when playing alongside
His greatest strength is stopping crosses or shots that are headed for the goal, and he rarely engages in reckless tackles that could result in penalties or bookings. He is versatile and excellent at playing balls over the top and out from the back.
“In my opinion, he can play in a formation with three defenders and be world-class. In a back four, he ought to be paired with a strong defender who can support him. Although he excels as a center back, his best performances came when he was a part of a back three and partnered with wingers.
Jordan Beyer, Hjalmar Ekdal, Ameen Al-Dakhil, Dara O’Shea, CJ Egan-Riley, and Hannes Delcroix are the six center backs whom Kompany presently has as alternatives.
In contrast, if Burnley sees the player as an improvement at the defence after giving up 13 goals in their first five games, they may try to push through a transfer, making this one to watch out for in 2024.
