Quilindschy Hartman’s appearance in the stands as Espanyol may not mean an immediate move from Burnley is on the cards.
That’s at least according to AS, relayed by Voetbal Primeur. The Dutch outlet cover the defender today after his surprise appearance at Burnley’s sister club.
They explain that Hartman’s future at Turf Moor has been thrown into the spotlight once again this month. He was heavily linked with a move to Ajax earlier this month but that was quickly dismissed after backlash from fans at his former club, Feyenoord.
Now he’s fuelling the rumours with an appearance at Espanyol. He was spotted in the stands for their defeat to Deportivo Alavés on Friday.
His appearance in the stands comes as he’s currently out of the picture at Burnley. He was left out of the squad completely for the game against Tottenham. The week before he was an unused substitute in the clash with Liverpool.
Whether his future lies in Barcelona remains to be seen, though. AS certainly won’t add more fuel to the fire. VP report them saying that the fact that Alan Pace owns Burnley and Espanyol means “his presence shouldn’t be immediately interpreted as an imminent transfer.”
Instead, they explain the 24-year-old’s trip by saying he could have been there to watch Cyril Ngonge. He was being presented as Espanyol’s new signing.
Espanyol could be in the market for a left-back, though. Carlos Romero is the first choice but he’s on loan from Villarreal and a longer stay seems unlikely. Atlético Madrid, among others, have already expressed interest in him.
Whether Hartman is being eyed as a replacement, remains to be seen. For now, they’re playing the Burnley man’s presence at Espanyol down in Spain.