"I'm not convinced" - Burnley FC doubts raised over potential Maxime Esteve summer exit | OneFootball

FLW's Burnley fan pundit has given his verdict on whether defender Maxime Esteve will leave the club this summer.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Despite winning promotion back to the Premier League, Burnley could still be vulnerable to losing defender Maxime Esteve this summer.

Esteve initially joined Burnley on loan from French side Montpellier last January before the club took up their option to sign him permanently in the summer.

The 22-year-old started all 46 of the Clarets' league games this season, and he was part of a defence that conceded just 16 goals and kept a remarkable 30 clean sheets as Scott Parker's side finished second in the table behind champions Leeds United.

It seems that Esteve's form has not gone unnoticed, with AC Milan, Everton and Crystal Palace all said to be keen on him ahead of the summer transfer window, and the Frenchman did little to dampen the speculation over his future when he stated in a recent interview that his goal is to play for a top six team one day.

"When I was young, I dreamed of playing in the Premier League. I watched basically just that on the TV. My dream is to play for a top six team in England. I wouldn’t say there is any club in particular but by dream is to go there," Esteve told Foot Mercato.

Optimistic Burnley claim made on Maxime Esteve's future

When asked if he believes Esteve will leave the club this summer, FLW's Burnley fan pundit Will Lancaster admitted that there is still a chance the defender could depart despite promotion, but he expressed his hope that he will remain at Turf Moor for at least another year.

"Esteve saying that isn't really out of turn or an unrealistic target, he's probably the player with the highest ceiling I've seen at Burnley in my years of watching them," Will told FLW.

"He played for France's youth teams, he dropped out of the Olympic squad to be with us in the summer, and given his commitment, the words he's said throughout and the love he's shown the club, I don't think he'd mean those words in an immediate sense.

"An exit could still be possible if a certain interested club stumps up the money or makes us an offer we can't refuse, I think it could be a possibility that he leaves, I'm not ruling that out, but I don't think it will be this summer.

"He's quite humble, he will know that we've essentially put him on a pedestal with our defensive record, and I have a feeling we might ask him to have another season with us and then tell him he's free to do whatever after it, regardless or relegation staying up.

"We need him to give us another year to give us the best chance of staying in the Premier League, and I think he'd probably go along with that.

"He'll only be 23 at the end of next season, so he's still got a full career ahead of him.

Had Burnley failed to win promotion this season, Esteve's departure would have been a near certainty, so the Lancashire outfit have at least given themselves a chance of keeping hold of their star defender this summer by returning to the Premier League.

While the Clarets were an outstanding defensive unit in the Championship this campaign, Esteve was certainly the standout player in their back line, and retaining him would be a huge boost for Parker's men as they look to survive in the top flight.

As Will says, Esteve is still young and has plenty of time ahead of him to secure a big move, but Burnley will need to brace themselves for bids for the former France youth international over the coming months, and his future may depend on the size of the offers they receive.