£4m ace admits he’d love to join Burnley, compares himself to Mitrovic

Follow us on Google Discover

KV Oostende forward Makhtar Gueye has indicated that he would welcome the chance to join Vincent Kompany’s Burnley in a potential £4 million deal, speaking to Het Belang van Limburg.

What was it Paul Merson said? ‘If you keep walking past the barbers, eventually you’ll get a haircut’.

Now, the former Arsenal ace is not exactly one of the modern world’s great philosophers but he has a point. One that Gueye, after an excellent 2021/22 campaign in Belgium’s Jupiler League, is keen to take on board as he awaits his big break.

“Calm down. Waiting for a transfer is like waiting at the hairdresser. In the end, it’s everyone’s turn. You have to be patient,” Gueye says.

“I do dream of a top league but I still have a contract with Oostende until 2024.”

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany likes Makhtar Gueye

According to Het Nieuwsblad, Burnley are willing to splash out a fee in the region of £4 million for Gueye. A 6ft 3ins targetman renowned for his aerial prowess, Kompany reportedly believes Gueye would be a round peg in a round hole at a Clarets side who tend to create plenty of opportunities from set-pieces and crosses.

“I know I was mentioned (at Burnley) but we’ll see if that becomes concrete,” the 24-year-old adds.

“Of course, I would like to work with a former top player like Kompany. He spoke to me after our match (against Anderlecht) last year and said that I had learned a lot tactically.

“I also think that the physical Championship would suit me as a big striker with a lot of duel power.”

Gueye is convinced that he could make a similar impact in England’s second tier to that of Aleksandr Mitrovic, even if replicating the Fulham talisman’s record-breaking haul of 43 goals in 44 games would obviously be too much to ask.

“I’m not saying I would get the same numbers but I do have Mitrovic’s profile,” Gueye adds. “At KVO, I scored twelve times last season. That is better than many strikers who play for stronger teams.

“If I played in a more experienced, more dominant team and played in the box more often, I could be more productive.”

Burnley remain in the market for a new centre-forward after a £3.5 million deal for Jackson Muleka fell through. Muleka is now a team-mate of Wout Weghorst’s at Besiktas.