Burnley manager Vincent Kompany showed an interest in taking Mike Tresor Ndayishimiye to the Championship but KRC Genk have no intension of letting the playmaker go, head coach Wouter Vrancken tells Het Laaste Nieuws.
During his first summer in charge at Turf Moor, Kompany used his Jupiler League connections to bring in a host of Belgian-based players; Josh Cullen, Vitinha, Manuel Benson and Anass Zaroury, for instance.
Belgium U21 international Ameen Al-Dakhil is the latest to arrive. He signed a three-and-a-half year deal with the Championship outfit on Friday afternoon.
Anyone hoping to see the mercurial Mike Tresor link up with the former Manchester City captain in Lancashire, however, should not hold their breath. The 23-year-old playmaker is one of the most exciting attackers in Belgium. One of the first names on Vrancken’s team sheet.
This season alone, Tresor has five goals and 13 assists in just 22 matches.
So, when Kompany expressed his admiration for the one-time Willem II talisman, his Genk counterpart wasted no time in making it clear that Tresor was not for sale.
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany wanted Genk star Mike Tresor Ndayishimiye
“Vincent and I like the same profile of player,” Vrancken admits. “I’ll give you a scoop; at the start of the season, he asked me about my plans for Tresor. If I didn’t need him, I had to let him know.
“’Just stay away from him’, I replied naturally.”
Tresor became one of the most influential and eye-catching forwards in the Netherlands during a superb stint at Willem II, and has taken his game to an all-new level since crossing the border into Belgium. He’s an outstanding set-piece taker, and could have been a fearsome addition to a Burnley side transformed from pragmatists into purists since Kompany took over from Sean Dyche at Turf Moor.
Genk paid a bargain £3 million for Tresor in the summer of 2021.
With Al-Dakhil through the door, Burnley will turn their attention to attacking additions. Kompany wants a striker; Bristol City’s Antoine Semenyo and Nottingham Forest’s Sam Surridge on the radar.
Viktor Gyokeres looks prohibitively expensive, however, with Coventry City – Burnley’s opponents this weekend – holding out for around £18 million (TEAMtalk).
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