Burnley boss Vincent Kompany appears to have ruled out the prospect of Anderlecht trio Josh Cullen, Michael Amir Murillo and Majeed Ashimeru joining him at the Championship club, as reported by Het Nieuwsblad, but opens the door of Makhtar Gueye to arrive.
It’s just part and parcel of appointing a new manager. Whenever a head coach changes clubs, it’s usually only a matter of time before reports emerge suggesting that he could raid his old employers.
And things are no different here.
Since being unveiled as Sean Dyche’s permanent successor earlier this month, Kompany has been tipped to bring a number of Anderlecht players with him to Turf Moor. The Athletic claim that the former Manchester City skipper is a huge fan of the former West Ham midfielder Cullen.
Vincent Kompany’s Burnley linked with a host of Anderlecht stars
But while admitting that a couple of new signings could be unveiled ‘in the coming days’, Kompany indicated that there are no plans to make use of his connections at the Lotto Park.
“We are already close to some newcomers and hope to announce them in the coming days,” says Kompany. “There are some interesting profiles for us in Belgium, so it is possible that players from the Belgian league will come.
“But, at the moment, I don’t think about getting players from Anderlecht. I don’t want to harm my former club. That is far from my intention.”
That will not stop Burnley from splashing out £4 million for Makhtar Gueye. The 6ft 3ins centre-forward is reportedly a candidate to replace the wantaway Wout Weghorst, with the Dutchman agreeing terms with Turkish giants Besiktas.
Gueye scored 13 goals last term for Anderlecht’s Jupiler League rivals KV Oostende.
Mandela Keita, a 20-year-old midfielder labelled a mix of N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba, is another option after an excellent campaign at OH Leuven.
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