Major CJ Egan-Riley transfer news emerges as Burnley FC exit nears | OneFootball

The defender is out of contract this summer and is reportedly heading for pastures new.

CJ Egan-Riley is set to leave Burnley to join Ligue 1 side Strasbourg this summer, having agreed a five-year deal with Liam Rosenior's side.

The young defender who was so pivotal to Burnley's record-breaking backline is going to leave Turf Moor this summer, according to talkSPORT (10:40).

Egan-Riley's contract is up this summer and Strasbourg, who are managed by the former Hull City boss, have been in talks with him over a move that would see him cross the channel and potentially play Champions League football next season.

Now it has been said that the ex-Manchester City man has agreed to join them on a five-year deal, in what will be a major blow for Scott Parker's side.

CJ Egan-Riley on the verge of move away from Burnley

The Clarets' boss stated, following the securing of automatic promotion to the Premier League, that he was "confident" that both the defender and captain Josh Brownhill would agree to extend their stays at Turf Moor beyond the end of this season. So far neither of them have put pen to paper, and Egan-Riley is likely to do so elsewhere, as per talkSPORT.

"I know that both the players we're talking about here have absolutely loved this year and they've been vital cogs of what we've done," said Parker, via the Burnley Express. "You obviously never know, but hopefully we can try and get to a point where we'll have a bit more clarity on that."

The 22-year-old started 40 of Burnley's 46 Championship games this season, helping to create a formidable trifecta which also included Maxime Esteve and goalkeeper James Trafford, who are also attracting interest from other clubs.

Burnley will struggle to survive in the Premier League if their defensive wall is knocked down

Keeping goals out of the back of their net was the driving force behind Parker's third promotion to the English top flight, as a manager. It was the one thing that they could hang their hat on more often than not, and why wouldn't you when you only concede 0.35 goals per game on average?

Being solid at the back will give Burnley a good chance of getting points in the Premier League, but if the foundation of that defence begins to be taken apart - Egan-Riley being the first of those pieces to potentially be removed - it's going to make it very challenging for Parker to keep this team up in what has become an incredibly tough division for newly promoted clubs.