Ipswich Town are reportedly set to complete a £15 million deal to sign Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.
Journalist Alan Nixon has reported via his Patreon that the Clarets’ goalkeeper is set for an immediate return to the Premier League following Burnley’s relegation last year, with newly-promoted Ipswich Town forking out a hefty £15 million to bring him to Portman Road.
Muric was predominantly second choice for the Clarets last season behind James Trafford, but he started their final ten games of the season as Vincent Kompany’s side were relegated to the Championship after just one season.
With plenty of transfer interest in the aforementioned Trafford, it was expected that Muric would be Scott Parker’s number one this season in the Championship, but he looks set for a move to Suffolk to link-up with Kieran McKenna’s side.
Arijanet Muric set for shock Ipswich Town move
Following their promotion to the Premier League, Ipswich boss McKenna will be looking to bolster his squad in a number of positions, and he’s identified Burnley shot-stopper Muric as the solution to their goalkeeping problems.
As it stands, the Tractor Boys have Christian Walton and Cieran Slicker as their two senior goalkeeper options, but Walton made just four appearances last season for Ipswich, with just one of those in the league, while Slicker is a 21-year-old with just two appearances for the club under his belt – showing that recruiting a new goalkeeper is crucial.
Vaclav Hladky was Ipswich’s number one goalkeeper last season as they won promotion, but the Czech shot-stopper has departed after turning down a new deal, meaning that The Tractor Boys are desperately short of options between the sticks.
Despite being relegated with Burnley last season, Kosovo international Muric has top-flight experience, as well as having previously played for the likes of Manchester City, Girona and Turkish side Adana Demirspor, meaning he’s an upgrade on what McKenna currently has at his disposal.
The 25-year-old still has two years left on his deal at Turf Moor, and Ipswich are set to pay £15 million for him, a lot of money for a player with just 10 Premier League appearances to his name, but he’s clearly a player that McKenna likes, and he’s certainly not out of Ipswich’s price range with Premier League money now at their disposal.
Muric is set to be Ipswich’s number one next season, and Burnley could be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper in the coming weeks.
Arijanet Muric departure gives Burnley a goalkeeper headache
It was expected that Trafford would be the Burnley goalkeeper to depart this summer, with Muric becoming the club’s number one this season, but news of his imminent departure to Ipswich, coupled with interest in Trafford means that the Clarets could be short of goalkeeper options.
Should Trafford depart as well as Muric, it leaves Burnley with Lawrence Vigouroux as their only senior goalkeeper, following Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s recent departure.
| Arijanet Muric’s senior career – Transfermarkt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Club | Seasons | Appearances |
| Manchester City | 2018-22 | 5 |
| NAC Breda (Loan) | 2018 | 1 |
| Nottingham Forest (Loan) | 2019-20 | 5 |
| Girona (Loan) | 2020-21 | 6 |
| Willem II (Loan) | 2021 | 14 |
| Adana Demirspor (Loan) | 2021-22 | 32 |
| Burnley | 2022 | 55 |
Parker with an early problem to solve, and while the £15 million for Muric will be well-received by the club’s board, it gives the coaching staff a real headache.
Muric was a mainstay in the Burnley side that won promotion to the Premier League during the 2022/23 season, and he’ll be a big loss to the Clarets with the Championship season starting in under a month’s time.
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