Who is Kai Wagner? The star wanted by Burnley FC and Coventry City | OneFootball

FLW take a look at the star who is being linked to Coventry City and Burnley.

Scott Parker's Burnley and Frank Lampard's Coventry City are interested in signing Philadelphia Union's left-back Kai Wagner.

This is according to Sky Sports News transfer guru, Florian Plettenburg, who has detailed the interest in a post on X.

Believed to have a release clause of €2 million in his contract, it doesn't appear that it will just be the two Championship clubs interested.

At present, it is understood that in Italy, Atalanta and Parma are both keen on the 27-year-old and have made inquiries to kickstart the process of trying to sign him. Additionally, Plettenburg has detailed that unnamed teams from Spain and Germany are watching this space.

With this hot interest in mind, at Football League World, we have decided to find out just who Kai Wagner is.

Kai Wagner's career to date

Born on the 15th of February 1997, Kai Wagner went through various academies in Germany as a youngster. These included spells at SV Lonse, SSV Ulm and FC Augsburg.

Eventually, in 2015, the then 18-year-old signed his first professional contract at Ulm, who at the time were featuring in the fifth tier of German football, having had various insolvency problems.

Quickly impressing with seven assists in 32 games from left-back, Wagner made the move to FC Schalke's second team, where he would secure another full season of first-team football.

In 2017, Wagner's steady ascent through the German football ranks earned him a move to 3. Liga side Würzburger Kickers. Over a two-year stint with the Rothosen, he made 47 appearances, playing a role in the team’s push for promotion in successive years.

Unfortunately, this never came to fruition and 2019 saw Wagner make the move to Philadelphia, where he hasn't looked back since.

Wagner impresses in America

Wagner's form since moving to America has ultimately earned him a great deal of recognition, not only in the MLS but from different teams around Europe.

Signing as a 21-year-old, he has gone on to prove himself as one of the best left-backs in the division.

Now approaching the prime of his career, the German has made 215 appearances for the Union to date and has steadily improved during his time in Philadelphia. Since 2022, he has managed a resounding 32 assists in 124 games and this campaign has seen him notch ten in 2907 minutes of Eastern Division MLS football.

Unsurprisingly, this sort of contribution from the left side of defence has caught the eye of many clubs, with very few players having comparable statistics.

In addition, the German has had the honour of being selected for the MLS All-Star team, showing the high regard he is held in within the league.

It is therefore no surprise that top-tier clubs in Italy have shown interest, indicating that if Coventry or Burnley were to secure a deal for Wagner, they would be acquiring a player with the potential to excel well beyond the demands of the second tier.

However, it will likely prove difficult if they face off against the likes of Atalanta for his signature, with La Dea currently playing in the Champions League and challenging for the Serie A title.