Burnley: £5.5m starlet could be a “terrific” Brownhill replacement

Vincent Kompany is expected to delve into the transfer market once again this summer.

Burnley are reportedly eyeing their next acquisition, as manager Vincent Kompany looks to make way for his 14th summer arrival in the bid to make the Clarets’ return to the Premier League a memorable campaign.

Despite being without a game last weekend due to Luton Town’s ground, Kenilworth Road, undergoing improvements to keep up with their meteoric rise to the top, it came to light that the new arrivals to the top-flight had beat Manchester United 3-0 in a fixture behind closed doors.

After comfortably winning the Championship last campaign, Burnley have seen multiple squad changes, with rumours speculating that further additions could be welcome to Turf Moor before the close of the window.

Who could Burnley sign this summer?

This week, the Clarets welcomed former Aston Villa midfielder Aaron Ramsey to the side marking Kompany’s 13th new addition, with rumours building that another arrival may be in the pipeline.

Earlier this week, journalist Dominik Schnieder took to social media to report that the Lancashire outfit are making a “push” to sign Sporting Lisbon B midfielder Renato Veiga, with FC Basel and Standard Liege also holding interest.

The reporter also relayed that a fee in the region of £5.5m to be paid in three instalments has been put on the table by the Premier League side, and a five-year contract for the 20-year-old starlet to consider.

Who is Renato Veiga?

Born in Lisbon, the versatile defensively-minded machine has risen through the ranks at Sporting where he is now a member of the side’s B team.

In January, the 20-year-old gem got his first taste of playing the top-flight, endeavouring on a half-season loan to FC Augsburg, where in which he made 13 appearances in the Bundesliga.

Deployable at both centre-back and left-back, the combative starlet is most prominently fielded in defensive midfield at his boyhood club, however, his versatility was exploited in Germany, where he was positioned in central defence.

Having been lauded as a “terrific footballer” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the midfielder could be the perfect capture for Kompany at Turf Moor, as he braces for potential change in the midfield areas before the end of the summer.

Josh Brownhill has been linked to a host of clubs in both the Championship and Premier League, including Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United, and after three-and-a-half years could leave the claret and blue this window.

The Englishman has been used in defensive midfield by Kompany, making a potential swoop for Veiga a smart one should the 27-year-old indeed move onto pastures new.

The Portuguese starlet is a defensively competent player, as highlighted by his averages in the Bundesliga last term, in which he averaged 1.27 tackles, 2.82 blocks and a mammoth 4.08 clearances, via FBref, suggesting the dominant presence he could bring to the Premier League.

While Brownhill is more of a progressive player, the Englishman’s departure along with the potential capture of the Sporting B sensation could give Kompany the freedom to juggle his midfield, with new arrival Sander Berge having a pass to roam with the assurance of an anchor.

In signing the 20-year-old, the Belgian manager can have a young and versatile star at his disposal, in a player that could prove to be a secret weapon for the Clarets due to his ability to take on a variety of tasks on the pitch.

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Albert Sambi Lokonga remains in Arsenal limbo as the transfer window ticks to a close, according to Charles Watts, with a move to Vincent Kompany’s Burnley falling through.

Arsenal are seeking a resolution for the Belgian who is out of favour under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners now have until the end of the current transfer window to sort out his future.

“We all expected him to sign for Burnley at some point this summer,” said Watts. “It hasn’t happened yet.

“Talks were ongoing and those talks seem to have stalled, whether they’re completely dead in the water, I don’t know.

“He absolutely needs to go, there’s no point in sticking around now, it’s not doing anyone any favours. Fingers crossed something does happen with him, but it just felt like the stars aligned for him to go to Burnley with Kompany there.

“It’s a real shame that they haven’t been able to. I’m not sure that there’s been an agreement in terms of fee or behind the scenes in terms of personal terms.

 

 

“He’s not a massive money, he’s on good Arsenal money and for Burnley that’s difficult, even though they’re in the Premier League now.

“There’s just been no agreement between clubs and between players so ultimately, it’s just stalled a little bit, whether it’s something that can be revived in the closing days, we’ll have to see.

“It’s a shame that he’s where he is at the moment, because he’s a good player, he’s a young player, it’s not worth asking him sticking around for the season.

“It’s just just going to be a wasted year for him. So they need to find find a resolution for it in the next 10 days.”

RECORD SIGNING FROZEN OUT

 

 

Meanwhile Arsenal’s record signing, Nicolas Pepe, remains frozen out at the Emirates Stadium.

The Ivorian has only just returned to the Gunners’ training base this week but a move to Besiktas no longer appears to be on the cards.

“It’s just a really odd situation,” added Watts. “The club record signing, £72m.

“It’s not his fault. He’s not bad player and he’s done alright at times. If you can’t sell him, can you not potentially use him? Even if it’s a bit-part thing for League Cup?”