£11M ACE TOLD SIGNING FOR BURNLEY WOULD BE A ‘GOOD IDEA’ THIS MONTH
A move to Premier League newcomers Burnley ‘would be a good idea’ for Dodi Lukebakio as the Belgium international looks to secure his departure from Hertha Berlin.
If things had worked out differently, the one-time Watford forward could have been posing for photos – arm in arm with Vincent Kompany – some 24 hours ago.
According to the Berliner Kurier and reporter Sacha Tavolieri, Burnley were hoping to finalise a deal for Dodi Lukebakio on Monday. The Clarets are offering £9.5 million – rising to £11 million – for the speed-freak forward, with a long-term contract on the table.
That was before a late hi-jack from Spanish giants Sevilla changed things.
Burnley hope to sign Hertha Berlin’s Dodi Lukebakio
Now, Lukebakio could still end up at Burnley; Sevilla are hampered with big debts and may be reliant upon outside investment to bring in the jet-heeled forward. But the delay is one Kompany could have done without as he looks to construct an attack capable of staving off an immediate return to the Championship.
“Going to Burnley with Vincent Kompany would be a good idea,” Philippe Albert, the former Newcastle United and Belgium favourite, tells RTBF.
“He has the qualities to succeed there.”
Lukebakio scored 12 goals and set up five more last season even as Hertha Berlin were relegated from the Bundesliga. He also scored a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in his Fortuna Dusseldorf days.
Lukebakio would become the latest in a long line of attackers snapped up by Burnley this summer; Nathan Redmond, Luca Koleosho, Jacob Bruun Larsen and Wilson Odobert already arriving.
Burnley eyeing more signings
Andros Townsend, however, saw his hopes of a Clarets contract scuppered despite a couple of eye-catching performances under Kompany in pre-season.
“At the end of June, the beginning of July, I was invited to go and train at Burnley to keep fit,” Townsend tells talkSPORT (11 August, 10am). “They soon realised ‘this guy has still got it’.
“The manager (Kompany) said; ‘listen, we are interested. We are going to take you on tour to Portugal’. I went to Portugal, played very well against Benfica. The next day, I was offered a one-year deal.
“I went for a medical. Passed the medical. I thought; ‘I am ready to sign’. As I’m in the shower, somebody from the coaching staff says; ‘the manager wants to see you in his office’. The contract was no longer on the table,” Townsend adds.
“It’s a decision I didn’t agree with. But that’s football.”
