How much Burnley can really save on Maxime Esteve's wages amid Turf Moor exit talk | OneFootball

FLW looks at how much Maxime Esteve is earning at Burnley, amid reports that he may be on his way out this summer

Burnley once again succumbed to immediate relegation back to the Championship this past season, and will be facing the possibility of losing some key players this summer off the back of it.

The Clarets incurred a struggle to retain the core of their promotion side from the 2024/25 campaign as they ventured back into the top flight.

Two-thirds of the goalkeeper and centre-back duo from their last Championship campaign, James Trafford and CJ Egan-Riley, left last summer, as well as their captain, Josh Brownhill, who parted ways at the end of his contract, too.

And, with another second-tier campaign on the horizon, more of those promotion heroes who stayed put for a tough Premier League season look likely to be moving on, too.

Maxime Esteve looks set to be the main departure over the coming months, with the Frenchman being admired by top-flight sides in both England and Germany, according to recent reports from L'Equipe.

How much Burnley will save on wages if Maxime Esteve leaves this summer

Esteve signed a new five-year contract extension ahead of the recent campaign, as Scott Parker battled to keep at least one of the key fixtures of the defensive line that conceded just 16 goals the year before.

With teams such as Bayern Munich credited with interest this time last year, the new contract included a significant wage hike to persuade the Frenchman to remain at Turf Moor ahead of the new Premier League season.

Per Capology's estimates, that new contract saw Esteve earn £50,000 per week, up an estimated £35,000 from his weekly wage during their sole campaign back in the Championship.

The fresh deal meant that the Frenchman was one of Burnley's top earners last season, with only Lesley Ugochukwu, Josh Cullen and Kyle Walker under contract at Turf Moor who were said to be earning more.

There may likely be an automatic decrease in that due to the recent relegation, but Esteve will still likely be right at the top of the wage bill. While letting him go would be a big blow, it would free up a lot of wage space in a year when the Clarets will need to lower the overall bill in preparation for a second-tier return.

Burnley's sale of Maxime Esteve may be necessary to balance the books this summer

With Esteve only costing £12.5 million back in 2024, Burnley are in good standing to make a profit on the Frenchman's sale, even as a Championship club.

That, plus the wage space it'll free up, may prove his sale to be a real necessity for the Clarets as they venture back into the second tier.

Burnley have been masters at securing immediate promotion back to the Premier League, but we've seen recently that it can also be difficult to stop that slide, especially after spending a season paying top-flight-level transfer fees and wages.

Already, it's been reported that West Ham United will need to raise £150 million in sales this summer, and while the Hammers have a much longer Premier League pedigree than Burnley, meaning the Clarets won't need to raise that much, they'll still be in for a summer where outgoings will have to be expected.

Esteve proved two years ago that he is one of the top centre-backs in the Championship, and despite a poor season overall, his personal campaign this past year has shown that he has Premier League qualities, too.

So, while Burnley would love to keep him at Turf Moor, an exit feels inevitable. Not just due to him angling for a top-flight move, but because the money that his side will get for a sale may be too good to turn down.