Maxime Esteve's contract and transfer situation at Burnley FC explained | OneFootball

Maxime Esteve has been the subject of intense interest ahead of the January transfer window, but his contract at Turf Moor is healthy

Although recruiting players will undoubtedly be the focus of Burnley's January transfer window, they may well have to fend off interest in some of their big-name players.

Maxime Esteve is certainly one of those names, and while he's probably one of the Clarets' most saleable assets, they won't want to lose him in the middle of a promotion push.

In truth, that promotion push has slowed a little after a flying start, with questions now starting to be asked of Scott Parker, which places an even bigger emphasis on getting the January transfer window right to give them the best possible chance of securing an instant top-flight return.

Keeping Esteve on board will be key to those hopes, but the main concern to Burnley fans will be that he becomes a makeweight to improve their misfiring front line, particularly after a dreadful summer which saw a mass Turf Moor exodus.

Clarets fans are right to be a little sceptical about what the winter might bring, and this is the state of play where Esteve is concerned.

Esteve isn't short of Premier League suitors

Burnley spent heavily to bring Esteve to Turf Moor, making his loan deal permanent over the summer which is believed to have cost them in the region of £13m.

His performances so far in a Burnley shirt would suggest that is money well spent, as he's been a standout performer in what has largely been a sub-standard 2024 for Burnley so far, with relegation followed up by an uninspiring start to the Championship season.

But on a personal level, Esteve has excelled and has caught the eye of several Premier League sides, with Everton and West Ham believed to hold an interest, while Wolves are also rumoured to be admirers of the young French defender.

Any January move is likely to see Burnley command a large fee due to the inopportune timing of any departure and the fact it would undoubtedly disrupt their promotion push.

For the money they'd likely receive for Esteve as opposed to the riches of the Premier League, selling in January would be a strange move, particularly as another six months in the Championship is unlikely to damage his market value.

Burnley protected themselves by giving Esteve a new contract

Esteve signed a new five-year deal in September, which of course means precious little in football as far as keeping a player at a club goes, but it does at least mean Burnley will be able to command big money for their star man.

The French U21 international was one of several first team stars to pen a new deal in September, with Luca Koleosho and Josh Cullen also extending their stays, but with a player like Esteve, a left-footed centre back being a rare commodity in the modern game, he was the one Burnley fans were most pleased to see with a pen in his hand.

After signing on for another five years, Esteve professed that his "wife and family are happy", and although it may be far-fetched to suggest that family matters alone will be able to keep him at Turf Moor, off-field matters certainly play a part in footballing decisions.

Burnley fans will certainly hope that's the case with this situation as they've grown to love the French centre back, so the thought of seeing him play for another five years certainly excites them.

However, after the summer's fiasco, where several other players on long contracts left Turf Moor, they'll be acutely aware that if the money on the table is right, then the Clarets could look to cash in.