Premier League duo Burnley and Wolves are reportedly ‘ready’ to meet FC Metz’s £17 million asking price for the prolific Georges Mikautadze.
Both Vincent Kompany’s Burnley and Julen Lopetegui’s Wolverhampton Wanderers may find themselves operating in similar circles this summer; a new centre-forward at the top of both team’s shopping lists, albeit for very different reasons.
No team scored fewer than Wolves’ 31 goals in the 2022/23 Premier League season. Burnley did not suffer from similar problems in the final third but, with Ashley Barnes heading to Norwich and top scorer Nathan Tella returning to Southampton, there is now a sizeable hole in Kompany’s frontline which must be filled.
So, enter Georges Mikautadze.
Will Burnley beat Wolves to Georges Mikautadze?
Le10 Sport claim that, in addition to Ligue 1 giants Lyon, Burnley and Wolves are lining up deals for a striker who finished the season as the French second tier’s Golden Boot winner and it’s Player of the Year.
Mikautadze’s 24 goals and nine assists are a major reason why FC Metz are just 90 minutes away from sealing their return to the top-flight. If promotion is secured this weekend, Metz are likely to demand £17 million from any club hoping to take the Georgia international away from the Stade Saint-Symphorien.
Though Le10 Sport believe such a fee is not going to put off his suitors from across the Channel. Both Burnley and Wolves, the report adds, ‘are ready to match’ Mikautadze’s 20 million euro asking price.
Champions League semi-finalists AC Milan submitted a bid recently. Albeit one which fell well short of Metz’s demands.
Kompany, meanwhile, admitted to being interested in Mikautadze back in 2022.
“It is a difficult one,” Kompany told Lancs Live at the time. “There are some players that are out of our range financially. For us, (Mikautadze) is a player who is probably out of our range.”
The France-born striker was too expensive at the time. He should now be more affordable these days for a Burnley side who’s hand is now strengthened by Premier League riches, as emphasised by their alleged interest in Juventus’ Arkadiusz Milik, PSG’s Fabian Ruiz and the prolific Gift Orban.
