Decision day looms as Fabrizio Romano drops Maxime Esteve transfer hint amid Everton and Burnley links.

It’s said Burnley’s scouting team like his ‘versatility’, as he can also play as a center-back. The problem is that there are ‘budget restrictions’ at the club which won’t let them try anything more than a loan with an option to buy.

Meanwhile, on more positive news, Sacha Tavolieri also brings an update on the Clarets’ chase for Montpellier defender Maxime Esteve, which has been going on for a while.

The journalist claims the player is now waiting for the ‘final green light’ from the French club to fly to England and sign for Burnley.

It’s claimed that the final agreement is now ‘closer’, with the player pushing for the move. The Premier League side are expected to sign him on a loan with an obligatory buying clause, which will depend on certain conditions.

The Sky Sports journalist’s tweet suggests that the Toffees or any other interested parties may have been priced out of the race for the 21-year-old center-back.

Given Burnley’s pursuit and Romano’s previous update outlining Esteve as one of Burnley’s main options, it’s likely that they are close to securing his signature.

Due to Everton’s financial constraints, particularly amidst an ongoing takeover and with them needing to rely on potential cash injections from new owners, they may be limited to loan deals in the window.

This suggests that Burnley, who are actively pursuing Esteve, may have the financial flexibility to meet Montpellier’s demands for the defender.

Signing a Centre-back this month anyway should not be a priority for Sean Dyche as he’s got James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite staying put and doing well for the first team.

In other Everton news, the Toffees’ transfer deal to sign an in-form player in January will now include a £7m option to buy.