Burnley are not prepared to accept any loan offer for key man Maxwel Cornet at this stage, according to a Twitter update from Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.

The 25-year-old has been the subject of interest from several Premier League sides since the transfer window opened, with his £17.5m release clause coming into play following the Clarets' relegation from the Premier League.

Despite their return to the second tier, Cornet was a top performer for Vincent Kompany's side with nine goals in 26 league appearances during the 2021/22 campaign and his progress during his first season in England certainly hasn't gone unnoticed.

 

 

West Ham are now keen to strike a deal for his services after failing to come to an agreement with Frankfurt for top target Filip Kostic, though they could potentially face serious competition from Newcastle United.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, have failed to agree personal terms with the Ivory Coast international whilst Leeds United, Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers have all since joined the race.

One side that may not be able to get a deal over the line though is Everton, who had a loan-to-buy offer rejected last month and according to journalist Taylor, the Clarets are not prepared to sanction a loan deal at this point.

The Verdict:

This is a good decision from the Clarets because they aren't likely to generate a hefty loan fee for Cornet if they were to sanction a loan deal for him - and that would be a blow considering he could play a big part at Turf Moor during the 2022/23 season.

In fairness, he still has four years left on his contract in Lancashire so enabling him to go out on loan now could see the Ivorian remain with his current side if they were to return to the top flight at the first time of asking.

Keeping hold of at least one of their key stars may go on to boost morale with the likes of Nick Pope, Nathan Collins and Dwight McNeil already securing permanent moves away this summer.

As well as this, loaning him out will enable them to get a hefty salary off their wage bill temporarily, but they will probably want to keep him or generate as much money as they possibly can for him now.

If they were to sanction a permanent transfer, it may be a good idea to insert a sell-on clause in this deal so they can potentially financially benefit from the 25-year-old in the future.