Football League World
·28 August 2024
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·28 August 2024
Burnley's Vitinho has been the subject of transfer speculation in the closing weeks of the summer window
Vitinho is reportedly keen on a move to Botafogo from Burnley after agreeing personal terms with the Brazilian club.
According to Sacha Tovalieri, the defender is interested in making the switch from Turf Moor before the window closes.
Vitinho has been with the Lancashire outfit since the summer of 2022 and has made 70 league appearances for the club in that time (all stats from Fbref).
The 25-year-old was a regular presence in the side when they clinched promotion to the Premier League under Vincent Kompany in 2023, contributing three goals and one assist from 35 league appearances.
He has also featured in all three Championship games so far this campaign under Scott Parker but could be set to depart by Friday night’s transfer deadline.
It has been reported that Vitinho has reached an agreement with Botafogo over personal terms ahead of his proposed move.
According to Fabrizio Romano, an offer in the region of €7 million (£5.9m) has been made to Burnley by the South American club.
A further €1 million (£840,000) has been offered as add-ons, but no decision has yet been made by the club on whether to accept this bid.
The Championship side will have until this week’s transfer deadline to make a final call on whether to cash in on the player, or whether to keep him as part of Parker’s squad.
It is understood that he has not been included in the squad for tonight’s EFL Cup game against Wolves, with speculation surrounding his future at Turf Moor.
Vitinho joined Burnley from Cercle Brugge, having previously made his breakthrough in senior football in Brazil with Cruzeiro.
The offer from Botafogo gives the player the chance to move back to his native country, with Globo previously reporting this summer that the switch could boost his chances of competing for the national team.
Burnley have already sold players like Wilson Odobert, Sander Berge, Arijanet Muric, and Dara O’Shea this summer.
Parker may want to avoid losing any more regular first team players before the window shuts, especially with how little time is remaining in the market.
But the Clarets have been busy in making signings of their own as well, most recently adding Hannibal Mejbri to the squad from Manchester United.
Burnley have also signed permanent deals for Maxime Esteve and Mike Trésor, as well as Joe Worrall, Andreas Hountondji, Lucas Pires, Shurandy Sambo, and Vaclav Hladky.
A deal worth £5.9 million for someone still playing regularly in the team isn’t the most enticing figure.
The right-back has performed well for the Clarets over the last couple of years, and there isn’t a lot of cover in that area of the squad.
Connor Roberts has struggled for game time with the club lately, and Sambo is still adjusting to his new surroundings.
If Burnley can eek more out of the deal from Botafogo then perhaps it could become a deal worth sanctioning, but the lack of time remaining in the window could prove a real stumbling block.