Burnley FC eyes strikers Steven Fletcher and Marcus Tudgay
DEFENDERS David Edgar and Tyrone Mears are understood to be close to completing moves to Turf Moor.
And Owen Coyle is also keen on landing strikers Steven Fletcher and
Marcus Tudgay.
Last Wednesday Burnley agreed a fee with Derby County for 26-year-old Mears, believed to be 500,000 plus add-ons, and the former Preston and West Ham right back held positive talks on Thursday afternoon.
A deal is expected to be confirmed imminently, while Newcastle United centre back Edgar, 22, is also thought to be close to agreeing to join the club.
Edgar, raised in Canada, turned down new terms at St James's Park, and last week held discussions with Birmingham City. But Burnley are favourites for his signature, with a fee involved as the player is under 24. It would be up to the clubs to agree a fee, otherwise a tribunal would set terms of compensation.
Edgar is primarily a centre back, but has been preferred at right back at Newcastle, and has made 13 appearances for the club. He will, however, start the season with a suspension after being sent off in the Toon's final game against Aston Villa.
Elsewhere, as Coyle looks to add to his strikepower, news of a reported club record 2.75m offer for Hibs' Scotland international frontman Fletcher emanated at the weekend, while Sheffield Wednesday are believed to have slapped a 5m price tag on Tudgay.
Fletcher, 22, like another target – Middlesbrough's Adam Johnson – is a name that has also appeared on Real Madrid's radar. The Spanish giants have been watching his progress, having drawn up a shortlist of some of the continent's most exciting young talent – prior to Florentino Prez returning to the club and spending astronomical sums on Kaka and
Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fletcher was also the subject of a failed by Celtic – his boyhood heroes – in January. He has four years remaining on his contract at Easter Road, and new Hibs boss John Hughes said: "Owen called to give me the heads' up that there's an interest there.
"He asked me about Fletch and I told him he can compete, he's good in the air, quick and when he gets the ball on that left foot he always hits the target.
"I am a great admirer of Fletch and I'd love to have the opportunity to work with him."
Tudgay, who scored four goals against Burnley last season, has been linked with a 1.75m move to Turf Moor, but the Owls are determined to hold onto their player of the year.
The 26-year-old, also voted PFA Fans' Championship player of the year, signed a new three-year deal at Hillsborough just three weeks ago, having hit a career-best 14 goals.
Sources close to Wednesday suggest there had been no official offer for the striker as of yesterday morning, but the former Derby man caught Owen Coyle's attention over the campaign.
He netted two in the Owls' 4-1 victory over Burnley on the opening day of the season, and another brace in a stunning 4-2 win at Turf Moor in February.
Wednesday boss Brian Laws is eager to keep his key players at the club as they bid for a return to the top flight after nine years in the wilderness, and it would take a sizeable offer to even tempt the former Clarets right back to sell to his old club.
Coyle was yesterday busy working on bringing signings in, but even with the players reporting back for pre-season training on Thursday, he is not in a rush to conclude anything for the sake of it, and he said: "In terms of a timescale I don't feel I have to be turning players over day in day out to get them in.
"We all love football and the fans love it when there are new signings, but when they come in they'll come in. We need the right type, so we'll continue in the avenues we've gone down, we'll continue making the progress we've made."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Pendle
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
