How much money Burnley may need to pay Axel Tuanzebe in wages after Ipswich Town switch | OneFootball

Burnley have signed Axel Tuanzebe from Ipswich Town after his contract there expired, but this free transfer might not be cheap for the Clarets.

Burnley have signed defender Axel Tuanzebe upon the expiry of his Ipswich Town contract, but although there will be no transfer fee payable for him, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be cheap.

Burnley are preparing for life back in the Premier League following promotion from the Championship at the end of the 2024-25 season. A

nd although Scott Parker's team had an outstanding defensive record throughout the season, conceding just 16 goals in their 46 League matches, there's still a need to tighten that defence still further with a season in the Premier League now looming.

The last time Burnley were in the top-flight, they conceded 78 goals in their 38 matches and finished one place off the bottom of the table. Scott Parker, whose job would almost certainly be on the line should they find themselves in a similar sort of trouble next season, can't afford a repeat of that.

Axel Tuanzebe could be an ideal fit for newly-promoted Burnley

Axel Tuanzebe has now signed for Burnley, and considering their circumstances, he could be an ideal fit for them. He's played at this level for three different clubs - Manchester United, Aston Villa and Ipswich - and also has a lot of experience in the Championship, as well.

Tuanzebe signed for Ipswich on a 12-month contract in 2023, and extended it upon the Tractor Boys' surprise promotion to the Premier League. However, he turned down a new contract, with Ipswich having been relegated straight back to the Championship.

Tuanzebe won't come cheap, but his injury record may temper his wage expectations

But none of this means that Tuanzebe is a cheap option for Burnley.

This is certainly be the case in terms of his transfer fee. These don't come lower than zero. But this, of course, doesn't take into account his wages, and Tuanzebe is a Premier League player, so his demands may well have been high.

Capology estimate Tuanzebe's wage at Ipswich for the 2024-25 season to have been £40,000-a-week, which equates to just over £2 million a year.

Burnley's statement confirming his arrival didn't mention a contract length, but multiply those earnings up to a five-year contract, and they would be looking at a total cost of almost £10.5 million before including any bonuses or the like.

This isn't the most he's earned throughout his career, either. While at Manchester United, Capology estimate his salary to have been £50,000-a-week.

Have Burnley stretched that far? Looking at their wage bill for the 2023-24 season, when they were last in the Premier League, it would appear that they could have, although such a wage would put him among their highest earners. The same would have applied in the Championship last season, too.

But then, Tuanzebe does also come with one or two asterisks attached to his name, the most notable of which is his injury record during the 2024-25 season. He missed 100 days of last season for Ipswich with different fitness issues, and this has been reported as being part of the reason why the Turkish club Trabzonspor pulled out of negotiations with him. It may be that his injury record forced him to lower his wage expectations a little.

The question of whether Tuanzebe can truly offer 'value for money' is one that can only be answered with the benefit of hindsight. If Burnley can avoid relegation next season with him at the heart of their defence, he will definitely have done so. Joining a defence that was so stingy last season seems to have been too tempting an offer for the defender to pass up.

But the record of newly-promoted clubs into the Premier League has been abysmal these last couple of years, so that's the gamble that Burnley face as they prepare for another season in the top flight in which they aim to do better than they did the last time around.