Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace wanted to sign Maxime Esteve from Burnley this summer, but the player has decided to sign a new deal.
According to a report by French outlet L’Équipe, Maxime Esteve has committed his long-term future to newly promoted Premier League club Burnley.
This development is a blow for both Crystal Palace and Tottenham, who were seeking to bolster their defensive units by signing Esteve. The French defender has been instrumental for Burnley and he was outstanding in the Championship last season. The player certainly has the qualities to perform well in the Premier League and could have been a key addition for the two London clubs.
Crystal Palace may lose star defender Marc Guehi this summer; the Englishman is in the final year of his contract, and he wants to move on. Crystal Palace cannot hope to keep him against his wishes, and they are expected to sell the England international for a reasonable price, necessitating a replacement. Esteve would have been an ideal acquisition.
Likewise, Tottenham could lose Cristian Romero this summer, with the South American seeking a new challenge and being linked with Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Should that happen, Tottenham will need to fill the gap, and signing Esteve could have been perfect for them.
Esteve wants Burnley stay
Despite the links with Crystal Palace and Tottenham, Esteve has decided to snub interest from the two Premier League clubs and continue with Burnley. This is a huge boost for the newly promoted side, who must retain their best players to survive in the Premier League next season.
It remains to be seen if Tottenham and Crystal Palace move on to other targets, as both were defensively vulnerable last season and need to strengthen at centre-back. Tottenham will look to build on their impressive trophy win from last season and push for Champions League qualification through league positions.
They will also look to do well in the domestic competitions. It remains to be seen whether they can plug the weaknesses on their side over the next few weeks. Crystal Palace managed to win the FA Cup as well, and they will be competing in Europe. They need quality players to do well in multiple competitions.
