Crystal Palace have made Burnley star Maxime Esteve their 'priority target' this summer, after his exceptional campaign in the Championship for the Clarets - with the Eagles potentially looking at replacements for Marc Guehi before heading into next season's Premier League.
Guehi has been linked heavily with Newcastle United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in recent months, and with just one year left on his deal, he's expected to leave. That means that Palace will need to bring in a replacement for his services - and Esteve has been earmarked, with the Selhurst Park outfit making 'significant' progress to land the pacy defender.
Crystal Palace Make Esteve 'Defensive Priority', They've Made 'Significant Progress'
The Burnley star is wanted by clubs across Europe
Maxime Esteve
The report by L'Equipe states that, despite Burnley's promotion to the Premier League, they could already face transfer bids for one of their star players in Esteve - with Palace having made 'significant progress' to sign the French star.
Maxime Esteve's Championship statistics - Burnley squad ranking
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Appearances
Average Passes Per Game
Aerials Won Per Game
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Esteve featured in all 46 of Burnley's Championship games this season, seeing the Clarets concede just 16 goals throughout the campaign as they smashed records throughout the division, and posted one of the best-ever defensive campaigns in English football history - including a 12-game run without conceding a goal from mid-December to early March.
However, despite their automatic promotion, the Clarets face competition to keep hold of the £30m-rated Montpellier man - despite his contract running until 2029. Esteve is on Palace's shortlist, and the Eagles - who can offer the 23-year-old the chance to play Europa League football after their FA Cup final win - have made him their 'defensive priority', especially with Guehi in the pipeline to be moved on.
Although Bayern Munich are also interested, with Vincent Kompany having spoken to Esteve after he managed him at Burnley last season, Palace are still pushing to sign the French youth international ahead of next season.
The Eagles already have a large French contingent at the club, with Maxence Lacroix, Jean Philippe-Mateta, Odsonne Edouard and Naouirou Ahamara joining Esteve in making youth appearances for Les Bleus. That could tempt him with a move to the club, especially featuring at the heart of defence with Lacroix under boss Oliver Glasner in the capital city.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 05-06-25.
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