Burnley’s rebuilding efforts under Scott Parker continue, as Aro Muric’s transfer to Ipswich Town was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon.
Following their immediate relegation from the Premier League, the Clarets have faced the usual torrent of speculation surrounding some of their most valuable assets and best performers in recent years, with some of them linked with a move to the top level.
Muric was one of those, along with fellow goalkeeper James Trafford, but the Kosovan is the first to leave Turf Moor, as Burnley and Ipswich take polar opposite courses heading into the new season.
Kieran McKenna has made a number of shrewd additions this window as the Tractor Boys prepare for their first Premier League season since 2002, with some reports claiming the two clubs paid £8 million, though that figure has since risen following the completion of the deal.
Burnley fan pundit reveals stance on Aro Muric, Ipswich Town price tag
Following the announcement that Muric would be joining Burnley on a four-year contract, Football League World’s Burnley fan analyst, Ben Livingstone, weighed in on the alleged cost of the transfer.
He began: “Muric wanted to go, so you’ve got to look at that and think, how much, realistically, are you going to get for a player who doesn’t want to be here.
“We signed him for £2.5m, so you’re looking at a very good upsell if the £10m rising to £15m is true,” Livingstone added. “It’s more than enough money to get another keeper in.
“Obviously, we would’ve loved to have kept Muric. I can see why he wasn’t happy with the situation, but that was on Kompany and not Burnley.
“Ipswich is a weird move. You’re looking at it and thinking they’re probably going to come back down,” the fan pundit claimed. “They’ve made some good signings. I’m not a big fan of Delap, but they’ve made some good signings other than that and spent a fair bit of money.
“I think he could’ve got a better move to be honest,” Livingstone stated. “Obviously, he only played towards the end of last season, so maybe that limited what clubs were prepared to spend on him.
“You would’ve liked to have got more (money). He’s not old, he’s in the mid-range for a keeper. I would’ve liked to have seen maybe £15m+ with add-ons, especially when Ipswich spent £22m on Hutchinson and £15m on Delap. You look at that and think Muric is better than they are in his position.”
He concluded: “It’s a weird one for me, personally.”
Aro Muric fee represents a reasonable deal for Burnley and Ipswich Town
While it’s understandable that some Burnley fans would have preferred to see more money eked out of Ipswich’s coffers in the transaction, a minimum of £10 million, which may increase to £15 million, isn’t the worst outcome in the world by any stretch of the imagination, especially when considering the circumstances.
There’s no denying that the former Manchester City man has the potential to become a consistent Premier League performer, despite some well-documented errors in his ten appearances since regaining his starting spot from the aforementioned Trafford, which is where the frustrations will stem, as Ipswich have spent more money on players with no or limited top-flight experience.
However, it’s evident that Muric, who has appeared 55 times for Burnley in the last two years, wants a fresh challenge, and the fact that the sum might still climb indicates that the club has been successful in their goal of generating a significant profit on the 25-year-old.
Burnley need to address their goalkeeping situation
Muric and Trafford may have struggled for consistency in the Premier League, but they are still two of the most highly ranked goalkeepers in the Championship, as evidenced by the interest of numerous English and European clubs in their signings.
However, Muric’s and Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s recent departures to Birmingham City mean that the England youth international is currently the only senior keeper on Scott Parker’s books, and Newcastle United is showing serious interest.
Contingency plans were evidently put in place for this scenario when Burnley targeted former Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky on a free transfer, before the 33-year-old preferred a return to the Czech Republic. While no other shot-stoppers have been publicly linked with a move to East Lancashire at the moment, it’s clear that Parker has identified his goalkeepers union as an area that needs to be expanded as soon as possible.
