Leyton Orient goalkeeper Laurence Vigouroux is set to make a huge switch to recently promoted Burnley, as revealed by Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards via his Twitter.
Vincent Kompany’s side won the Championship last season and earned themselves an immediate return to the Premier League under the Belgian’s guidance and they will be looking to bolster their squad as the transfer window opens in two days.
The side recently announced they will be releasing goalkeeper Will Norris at the expiration of his contract, news that comes as no surprise, given he has only made two appearances for the club. The Englishman spent this season on loan with Peterborough, making 24 appearances for the Posh.
The side has been keen to address the goalkeeping department with Nick Pope and Wayne Hennessey both departing as they opted to remain in the Premier League with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest. They made an immediate replacement in Arijanet Muric, who joined from Manchester City on a four-year deal last summer and helped guide the team to promotion.
The Chilean goalkeeper has been with Leyton Orient since January 2020 and was a standout name for the team last year, keeping 24 clean sheets in 45 appearances, as well as only conceding 33 goals in League Two with the team winning promotion to League One, claiming the league title.
The goalkeeper finished this season as he claimed his third consecutive player of the season for the club and was named in the League Two Team of the Season alongside teammates Omar Beckles and Idris El Mizouni.
The 29-year-old is a smart signing for the Lancashire club, given his contract is expiring this summer and therefore will not require Vincent Kompany to pay a fee for him, meaning the club can gain some more squad depth following the departure of Norris, as the Belgian also looks to add some fierce competition to his goalkeeping department with this acquisition.
The news also comes as a surprise, with Burnley linked with another Manchester City keeper James Trafford, who spent last season on loan at League One outfit Bolton Wanderers enjoying a fruitful loan spell which will only have driven up his value. Football Insider reported that the Cityzens were expected to accept a bid of around £15 million from Burnley for the young goalkeeper.
Writer’s View
The move comes as a shock given the success the Chilean has had with Orient, especially as they are a team that looks promising and he has been a key factor for that. To lose a player that has been Player of the Year for three years running for nothing can be particularly harmful to the club financially. With that said, given his performances in recent years, this season especially, it is no surprise a club made their move for the star. However, it is hard to see the star replacing Muric as the first choice and he will most likely be playing second choice to last season’s number one.
