Football League World
·18 July 2024
Burnley FC: Ashley Barnes reacts as Aro Muric secures Ipswich Town transfer
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·18 July 2024
Norwich City striker Ashley Barnes has shared a message after Aro Muric's move to Ipswich Town.
Ipswich Town have signed goalkeeper Aro Muric from Burnley, and his former Clarets teammate Ashley Barnes has shared a message in response to the switch.
Muric has signed a four-year deal at Portman Road, joining the Premier League outfit from Burnley in a deal that could reach £15 million.
The 25-year-old will replace Vaclav Hladky, who was ever-present during The Tractor Boys' promotion-winning campaign in the Championship last season.
Hladky has also reportedly turned down a move to Burnley to replace Muric - despite being offered better terms than he was on at Ipswich - in favour of a return to his homeland, the Czech Republic.
Muric was a key figure for the Clarets during the 2022/23 season, making 41 league appearances in Burnley's impressive title-winning campaign.
He only made 10 appearances in the Premier League as Burnley were relegated last season, after Vincent Kompany chose to sign James Trafford from Manchester City and make him his first-choice instead - the Kosovan returned late on in the campaign but it was too little, too late in terms of relegation.
Ashley Barnes played alongside Muric during Burnley's memorable 2022/23 campaign. The 34-year-old scored seven goals in the Championship that season and played an important part as the Clarets won the Championship title with 101 points.
Following Burnley's promotion to the Premier League, Barnes stayed in the second tier after signing for Norwich City. The Canaries were beaten by Leeds United in the play-off semi-final in May at the end of his first season at Carrow Road.
Muric has signed for the rivals of Barnes' current club, but it does not seem as though that is something that the forward will hold against the Kosovan goalkeeper.
Muric uploaded a post to Instagram following the confirmation of his move to Portman Road, sharing his excitement about joining a club like Ipswich.
He wrote:
Barnes left a message of support in the comment section, showing he is not upset that his former teammate has signed for Norwich's biggest rivals.
The veteran striker commented: "Congratulations mate", alongside a heart and fire emoji.
It is clear that the striker is pleased for Muric, following what must have been a difficult season in which he spent a lot of time on the bench, despite helping Burnley achieve promotion to the Premier League in the first place.
After being limited to 900 minutes of top flight football at Turf Moor last season, it looks like Muric will get an opportunity to feature regularly in the Premier League under Kieran McKenna next term.
He started his senior career at Manchester City, and spent time on loan in the Netherlands, England, Spain and Turkey before joining Burnley on a permanent basis in the summer of 2022.
With plenty of first-team appearances and 36 caps for Kosovo under his belt at the age of 25, Ipswich boss McKenna must feel that Muric has the potential to develop further in the coming years, as well as be capable of performing well next season.
The towering is a real presence between the sticks, standing at six feet and six inches tall, and also, Ipswich have rarely got their recruitment wrong since McKenna's arrival at the club, which bodes well for Muric and his potential performances.
One person who clearly hopes Muric can settle quickly in Suffolk is Barnes, despite their newfound rivalry, although it will be easier knowing that the two sides will not have to play each other next season.
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