Burnley sell star defender to RB Leipzig in £21m transfer following relegation from Premier League

Burnley have lost one of their star defenders after agreeing a deal to release Esteve to Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. The Frenchman was allowed to leave for a reported fee reaching £27.3m to bolster the German side's backline. The move comes after Burnley were once again relegated from the Premier League, forcing the former Montpellier defender to seek a fresh challenge with the team that finished third in the Bundesliga last season.

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Leipzig managing director for sport Marcel Schafer expressed his delight at the club's success in securing the signature of Esteve, who is deemed to possess an extraordinary combination of physicality, character, and leadership spirit.

In his statement to the club's official website, Schafer said: "Signing Maxime is a hugely important move for us. We’re delighted to be bringing in a centre-back who, despite still being young, has already gained plenty of experience in France and England and made impressive strides during his time at Burnley.

"He has many of the qualities we were looking for in this position: height, athleticism, a strong left foot, confidence in possession and the ability to step out and defend proactively. Maxime is positive in the way he plays, a tough tackler, vocal and brings a huge amount of energy to the pitch.

"He is also a natural leader. He communicates constantly, organises those around him and takes responsibility, while off the pitch he is very clear-minded and thoughtful. That combination of quality, character and mentality makes him an excellent fit for RB Leipzig. We’re convinced Maxime can make an immediate impact and play an important role in our team."

The 193cm-tall defender, who was previously named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year when leading Burnley promotion to the Premier League, admitted he feels highly challenged by the massive ambitions driven by Die Roten Bullen.

Esteve stated: "I’m delighted to be an RB Leipzig player. The club stands for high-intensity, fearless football, continuous progress and big ambitions. That suits me perfectly.

"I’ve come to Leipzig to make an immediate contribution, take on responsibility and achieve success together with the team. I learnt a great deal in France and England, and I now want to bring that experience and those qualities to RB Leipzig.

"The talks with the club were extremely convincing. I could tell that there is a clear plan for me here. I’m now looking forward to meeting the team and the fans. Together, we want to enjoy success in the Champions League, the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal."

Burnley must now quickly rebuild and find a worthy replacement in the heart of defence to face the gruelling EFL Championship. Esteve's departure is a significant setback, given that the centre-back was a reliable presence who played in all 46 league matches during the club's historic 2024-25 Championship campaign with 100 points, maintaining 30 clean sheets and allowing only 16 goals. Furthermore, the defender had remained a crucial regular in the Premier League last season, making 34 league appearances for the Clarets despite their eventual drop.