Burnley now interested in "superb" £10m defender who pocketed Vinicius Jr
da wazamba： Burnley are now showing interest in signing a “superb” £10m defender, who is keen on a move to the Premier League in the summer, according to a report.
Clarets set to strengthen after promotion
da premier bet： The Clarets have made Championship history this season, becoming the first-ever side to reach the 100-point mark twice, sealing a return to the Premier League at the first attempt in the process.
Related The highest points tallies in Championship history
Leeds and Burnley recently made second-tier history.
Scott Parker will, of course, be delighted to have sealed promotion to the top flight, but the 44-year-old will be well-aware that his most difficult task awaits, having been sacked by AFC Bournemouth in August 2022 following a 9-0 battering against Liverpool.
Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton being relegated this season also proved that it has not gotten any easier to avoid the drop after going up from the Championship, so Parker will need to improve his squad this summer.
Despite maintaining a stellar defensive record last term, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has now told the Boot Room that Burnley are looking to upgrade their defence in the upcoming window, having joined the race for Union Berlin right-back Josip Juranovic.
Juranovic, who joined Union Berlin from Celtic for £10m in 2023, is attracting the attention of several English clubs, with Fulham, West Ham United and Leeds United also in the frame, and he would be keen on a move to the Premier League.
As such, the Clarets should stand a good chance of signing the versatile defender, who is of great appeal to the interested clubs due to his versatility, having proven himself at left-back for Union Berlin during the 2024-25 campaign.
"Superb" Juranovic has proven himself at the top level
The former Celtic man may be yet to prove himself in the Premier League, but he has 11 Champions League appearances to his name, while also catching the eye with some impressive performances for his country at the 2022 World Cup.
Indeed, the Croatian received high praise from Jurgen Klinsmann during the quarter-final against Brazil, with the former Tottenham Hotspur man saying: “He is basically telling Vinicius Jnr, ‘I’m in charge, I’m the boss here.”
Alex Scott also hailed the defender for a “quality” first-half display, and Croatia went on to win the game on penalties, following a number of important defensive contributions from the now Union Berlin man.
Juranovic vs Vinicius
Defensive actions
Duels (won)
5 (5)
Clearances
4
Tackles
4
Interceptions
1
The Croatia international, who has been lauded as “superb” by former teammate Joe Hart, has since gone on to establish himself as an important player for Union Berlin when fit, making 62 appearances for the German side.
The only concern over the signing of Juranovic is likely to be his injury record, having been limited to just 17 Bundesliga appearances last season due to a number of setbacks, but his experience at the top level means he could still be a solid signing for Burnley.