Carlton Palmer believes that Burnley’s sale of Aro Muric to Ipswich Town could present the Clarets with a problem amid interest in fellow goalkeeper James Trafford.
The Clarets are preparing for life in the Championship under the management of Scott Parker, who was recently appointed as Vincent Kompany’s replacement following relegation from the Premier League.
Despite their well-documented struggles in the top flight, interest in both Muric and Trafford remained high throughout the transfer window, with the Kosovan shot-stopper moving to Ipswich Town for a reported £15 million fee on Wednesday afternoon as Kieran McKenna’s side prepare for their first campaign at Premier League level in 22 years.
It remains to be seen what course of action Burnley will now take after seeing one of their keepers depart, with the new season beginning in just over three weeks’ time.
Carlton Palmer identifies potential Burnley “problem” after Ipswich Town deal confirmed
Muric’s move to Portman Road will see the second tier side initially bank £10 million, with £5 million potentially set to come their way if add-on clauses are met.
The aforementioned Palmer has issued his verdict on the deal from both standpoints, as well as stating that a replacement should be identified by Parker as soon as possible.
| 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 |
“Ipswich were looking for a new goalkeeper after Vaclav Hladky left the club at the end of last season as his contract expired after helping the club get promoted,” Palmer said when speaking to Football League World.
“Muric was second-choice for most of the season, but the 25-year-old has plenty of experience. The problem I see for Ipswich is the lack of top flight games he’s played.
“It’s very few games and they’ve brought him in through his previous experience at this level and at international level. They clearly see him as a very good replacement (for Hladky).
“This, however, leaves Scott Parker with a problem. There’s so much interest in James Trafford that it looks likely he will also depart.”
“You would think that Burnley are in the hunt for a goalkeeper.”
Referring back to Muric’s departure, Palmer believes that Burnley couldn’t say no to the offer put on the table by the top-flight newcomers when all factors are considered.
“I think it’s a price that Burnley couldn’t turn down, 100 per cent,” the ex-England international added.
“I think it’s an awful lot of money for a player who hasn’t played a lot of football games as such.
“His senior career to date is five games at Manchester City, five on loan at Nottingham Forest, six games at Girona, 14 games at Willem II and 55 games for Burnley since 2022.”
“It’s an awful lot of money for the player and a deal they couldn’t turn down. But, it’s given Scott Parker a headache moving forward.”