Speaking to the Burnley Telegraph in March 2020, Kieran Trippier insisted that he would only leave La Liga champions Atletico Madrid for one club; a side he knows like the back of his hand.
“I would love to retire there. That’s my aim, to retire at Burnley. I have a great relationship with Sean Dyche,” said the England international.
“I want to play as high as I can for as long as I can, but I’ll know when the time is right. If I’m at Atleti for another two years that’ll take me to 32 and Burnley’s the only club that I’d come back to England for.”
20 months on, Trippier’s commitment to the Burnley cause could soon be tested by another Premier League club in claret-and-blue.
Will Aston Villa bring Kieran Trippier back to England?
Aston Villa are rumoured to have made a new left-back one of their top priorities since hiring Steven Gerrard as Dean Smith’s replacement. A pair of Croatians named Borna are reportedly leading the way at the top of their January hit-list.
According to 90Min, however, Villa are also looking at reinforcements for the opposite flank.
Trippier, a key cog in Atletico’s first title-winning side since the 2013/14 vintage of Diego Costa, David Villa and Arda Turan, is reportedly a target for not only Villa but also Everton, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United.
The one-time Manchester City youngster has a £50 million release clause in his contract.
Cast your minds back to June 2015, when Trippier was still making his name at Burnley and Steven Gerrard was still Liverpool’s captain, and his release clause stood at a measly £3.5 million.
Aston Villa were linked then, too, via The Mail. Then-manager Tim Sherwood was reported to be a ‘huge fan’ of the 24-year-old .
Trippier is seven years older and seven years wiser now, an England international of 35 caps, a World Cup semi-finalist and a La Liga champion to boot.
Aston Villa have come a long way themselves since 2015, embarking on a rollercoaster journey that took them to the depths of the Championship and the brink of financial ruin all the way back to where they started.
One wonders whether Burnley would be tempted to appeal to Trippier’s nostalgic side as the 31-year-old weighs up a return to England.
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