Relegated side Burnley would be keen on pursuing a move for Manchester City shot-stopper Arijanet Muric if Nick Pope was to depart Turf Moor this summer, according to The Sun.

30-year-old Pope is currently the subject of interest from multiple top-tier teams including Fulham, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United with Forest the latest side to put their hat in the ring for the England international.

The Clarets have reportedly placed a £40m price tag on the shot-stopper as they brace themselves for bids for one of their best assets this summer, though they will have a considerable amount of power at the negotiating table with one year left on his deal and the club able to trigger a 12-month extension on his current terms on top of that.

Pope may be keen to seal a move away ahead of the World Cup later this year as he looks to remain in Gareth Southgate's plans - and the Lancashire side could potentially decide to cash in on the Englishman following their return to the Championship.

Vincent Kompany, who is set to take charge of the second-tier side, already has a potential alternative on his shortlist though with City's Muric a keeper he highly rates and one he would like to lure to Turf Moor.

The Kosovan may be available for a move away this summer with the likes of Ederson and Zack Steffen likely to remain ahead of him in the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium, giving the Clarets the opportunity to snap him up.

The Verdict:

The goalkeeping situation is a difficult one for the relegated outfit to contend with because Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Wayne Hennessey are both available as solid options at this level.

Peacock-Farrell may have dropped down to the third tier last term - but he played in a team that is arguably of Championship quality and did reasonably well at Hillsborough, so could come in as Kompany's first-choice option.

If they do recruit Muric, surely the Northern Irishman or Hennessey will need to depart because having three senior goalkeepers on their wage bill will be costly.

Another loan move away for Peacock-Farrell could be an option - but it seems a waste for them not to use him whilst they have him at their disposal and the player may be reluctant to move away temporarily again.

There are also other areas they should be looking to address first if Pope does move on, including their centre-back area with James Tarkowski set to depart the club on the expiration of his contract amid interest from elsewhere.

This is why a shot-stopper shouldn't be too high up on their transfer list at this stage, though they could strike a potentially cheap agreement for Muric regardless of whether he comes in on loan or on a longer-term basis.