Hjalmar Ekdal has been given ‘permission’ to join Vincent Kompany’s Championship leaders Burnley with Djurgarden’s sporting director Bosse Andersson admitting that the Sweden international missed training on Thursday, speaking to Aftonbladet.
Last week, Burnley’s pursuit of the 24-year-old centre-half looked to have hit the buffers.
According to Alan Nixon, there were concerns about Ekdal’s work permit, Andersson adding that negotiations between the two sides had stalled.
There was a welcome breakthrough in the build up to Friday’s crunch clash with in-form West Brom, however; the Burnley Express reporting that a £2.5 million fee has now been agreed. Ekdal is reportedly travelling to England today, and could even be confirmed as a Burnley player in the coming hours.
Presumably, then, Burnley believe those work permit issues will not pose a problem after all.
Burnley are close to signing Hjalmar Ekdal from Swedish outfit Djurgarden
“He has received permission to meet a club,” Andersson explains. “(Ekdal) was not involved in training today. I can only confirm that he is not taking the bus there (to his next destination)!”
Ekdal will become Burnley’s second centre-back signing of the January window. Ameen Al-Dakhil joined from Belgian outfit Sint-Triuden last week. The three-time Sweden international should help offset the loss of Taylor Harwood-Bellis; the Manchester City loanee set to miss a couple of months of Championship action.
“It’s obviously awesome,” Ekdal admitted when quizzed about Burnley’s interest recently.
“It’s flattering and a challenge that would be damn cool to take on. It is probably not possible to join a better club in the middle of a season. There’s probably harmony there. It would have been damn cool to come in and experience it.
“I look at all the interest that comes in and evaluate (the options) individually. Maybe the dignity strikes higher in Burnley than it does at (Eredivisie outfit) Groningen, although I am aware that there is a good chance of playing time in Groningen.
“There are a lot of different parameters that you have to assess. But, if we take Burnley, it’s bloody awesome.”
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