Maxwel Cornet is expected to depart Burnley this summer due to his £17.5 million release clause - but he is not an immediate transfer target for Premier League giants Chelsea, according to The Athletic.

It was reported late last week by TalkSPORT that the Blues were eyeing up the Ivory Coast international this summer ahead of a potential swoop.

However, a move by Thomas Tuchel's side for the 25-year-old is only expected to potentially happen if deals for either of their top attacking targets fall through in the coming weeks.

Chelsea have been linked with both Leeds United attacker Raphinha and Manchester City's England international Raheem Sterling in recent weeks, and if moves for either of those do not materialise, only then will they seemingly pursue a move for Cornet.

Cornet returned to training with Burnley this week following an extended break, having scored nine times in the Premier League last season during his debut campaign with the Clarets.

Despite top flight interest, Burnley are hoping that Cornet will remain their player beyond the end of the transfer window and are hoping that manager Vincent Kompany can go some way towards convincing him to stay in the Championship.

The Verdict

Because of his release clause, Cornet will be an attractive proposition for top flight clubs both in England and overseas.

No doubt the bids will come soon, but it would be a surprise if Chelsea were to get involved.

Despite Cornet being able to play as a wing-back, he has shown his true talents as a forward for Burnley, and Chelsea's attacking options, as well as the players they want to sign, look too competitive for the Ivorian to make an impact.

It would be incredible if Cornet was still a Burnley player come September, but we've seen players in relegated sides like Emi Buendia and Ismaila Sarr stay for a season to get their clubs back to the top flight - that's not beyond the realms of possibility here.