£12.5m Burnley star set for exit? Nottingham Forest, Everton & Bayer Leverkusen lurk | OneFootball

Maxime Esteve will be on the move this summer following Burnley's relegation to the Championship

Burnley will begin life back in the Championship yet again in August, after they were relegated from the Premier League for the third time in as many top-flight years this season.

This season started with the Clarets on the back foot somewhat, after two-thirds of the goalkeeper and centre-back duo that contributed to the incredibly impressive defensive record in the 2024/25 campaign departed Turf Moor.

Indeed, Scott Parker's side kept 30 clean sheets and conceded just 16 goals en route to their second 100-point campaign in as many Championship seasons, but both James Trafford and CJ Egan-Riley would not be sticking around for the following Premier League campaign.

Manchester City would spend a reported £31 million on Trafford, while Egan-Riley left Turf Moor at the expiry of his contract, instead joining Ligue 1 outfit Marseille.

However, the third man in that trio, Maxime Esteve, would choose to stay at Burnley, extending his contract ahead of the new campaign, too. But the Frenchman couldn't single-handedly help the Clarets maintain their defensive record, as his side conceded 59 more league goals en route to an immediate relegation.

Maxime Esteve set to leave Burnley this summer

Now, it looks like Esteve will be moving on to new pastures this summer, as L'Équipe reported last week that the 23-year-old will not be staying at Turf Moor in the wake of Burnley's relegation back to the Championship.

Despite Burnley's defensive woes this season, Esteve has shown that he's still Premier League quality, and the number of goals the Clarets have conceded this season hasn't been due to his shortcomings.

Per Fotmob, the Frenchman was in the top 6% of top-flight centre-backs in terms of defensive contributions, while also winning two-thirds of his duels both on the ground and in the air. He ranked in the top 10% for blocked shots and clearances, and was dribbled past just 15 times.

Understandably, he's not short of offers, with Premier League outfits Nottingham Forest, Everton and Bournemouth, the latter playing Europa League football next season, plus Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen all being credited with interest.

With four years remaining on his Turf Moor contract, Burnley will be in the driver's seat for any sale. The Clarets spent a reported €15 million (£12.5 million) on his services from Montpellier in 2024, so they could be in line to make a profit.

However, due to their imminent return to the Championship, Burnley may be forced to part ways for an offer less than what their higher-ups would normally deem suitable for one of their star players.

Burnley cannot hold it against Maxime Esteve for wanting to remain in a top-flight league next season

While news surrounding an exit for Esteve will be disappointing, Burnley cannot hold it against him for wanting to continue his Premier League career, or even move to a top-five league abroad, especially given his loyalty to the club in the past.

The 23-year-old remained at Turf Moor in the wake of their relegation in 2024, despite having plenty of top-flight appearances under his belt during his time at Montpellier, and became a key player in what is statistically the best defensive team in EFL history.

Additionally, he decided to stay ahead of what was always going to be a difficult Premier League campaign, given the recent trend of newly-promoted Championship clubs suffering immediate relegation.

Many argued that he was the most important member of the goalkeeper and centre-back trio, with Bayern Munich, managed by former Clarets boss Vincent Kompany, registering interest last summer.

So, to stay at Turf Moor despite all that should mean that, after this season didn't go the way Esteve or Burnley would have wanted, they shouldn't be able to stand in the way of his departure this time around.