Royal Antwerp manager Mark van Bommel has admitted the club hasn't stood in the way of Manuel Benson in his quest to secure a move to Burnley, speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws.

The 25-year-old is set to complete his move to Turf Moor today, putting pen to paper on a four-year contract as he commits his long-term future to Vincent Kompany's side.

Antwerp and the Clarets are believed to have agreed a fee in the region of £3m for his services, with the two sides finally coming to an agreement over the last few days with the latter tracking the winger for the past few weeks.

 

 

The Lancashire outfit are arguably in need of more wide players with Aaron Lennon leaving the club on the expiration of his contract this summer and Dwight McNeil sealing a big-money move to Premier League side Everton.

Maxwel Cornet, who can also operate on the wing as well as at full-back and up top, has also been heavily linked with a move away from the English club recently.

Thankfully for the Clarets, they look set to tie up a move for 25-year-old Benson, though current boss van Bommel has revealed that his side could have potentially frustrated Kompany's men in their quest to land the Belgian if they had pursued a different strategy.

Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, the former Netherlands international said (via Sport Witness): "Benny played well in my opinion.

"Look: if a player wants to leave, you can stop him at all costs. Sometimes you have to, but now we decided not to.

"You are dealing with a player who wants to make that step, and there had already been talks. We have to take that into account."

The Verdict:

He may have Europa League experience under his belt and with that, some would argue he should have waited until a potential offer from the Premier League came along.

However, Kompany is someone that already knows him well from their time together in the Belgian top tier and with this, the former Manchester City defender should know how to get the best out of the 25-year-old.

That is one reason why it's worth Benson taking the step down - and there's every chance the Clarets could secure a return to the top flight at the first time of asking anyway, giving him the opportunity to ply his trade in the English top tier.

This could increase his chances of gaining more opportunities at an international level, so you can definitely see why the wide man would want to make this move to Lancashire.

And with Antwerp raising a seven-figure fee for his services, this may be an agreement that suits all parties, with van Bommel probably wise to not block the move considering the player's stance.