Burnley head coach Nicky Hayen says Florentino Luis’ absence from their 2-1 defeat to Ajax in Amsterdam on Sunday was down to his imminent move to Hull City.
Hull Live reported last week that the Tigers were keen on bringing the 26-year-old midfielder to the MKM Stadium, and talks have progressed with the Championship club over the past few days.
It’s understood that a clause in Luis’ contract allows him to leave on loan from August 1, with City set to strike a season-long agreement for the 26-year-old, who played 31 times in the Premier League last season for the Lancashire side.
City were hoping to get the Portuguese to their training camp in Slovenia, but that hasn’t proved possible, and it’s now hoped he could link up with Sergej Jakirovic’s squad when they arrive in Istanbul later this week.
Luis is understood to be keen on the move and is awaiting the green light from the Clarets to leave England and link up with the Tigers’ squad. If not, he’ll hope to have the move signed off ahead of the Tigers’ trip to Frankfurt next weekend, when they take on Bundesliga opposition in Germany.
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“That’s possible,” the Belgian boss said when asked if his omission indicated a move to the MKM Stadium was close. “We didn’t want to take the risk with Tino for having an injury, so we gave him the days for the club to take care of that,” the Clarets chief told the Burnley Express. “We will see in the upcoming days what it will be. But we know there is an offer, and we’ll see what happens in the next few days.”
Meanwhile, talks with Aston Villa over a permanent move for Leon Bailey continue. Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis had been expected to arrive in Maribor, but his medical in Athens was delayed until Monday, and it’s now expected he’ll join City’s group in Turkey later this week. Discussions over finalising Elliot Stroud’s move are also progressing to a conclusion.
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