WALSALL have made an approach for Burnley full-back Chris Vinnicombe who looks set to leave Turf Moor this summer.
Vinnicombe has been offered a new one-year deal by the Clarets but that will not be good enough to keep him at the club unless the new manager indicates that he is part of his plans. "Walsall have been interested and I spoke to their managing director.
"I am keeping my options open. They are not the only club to come in and I have got to speak to all of them.
"I will see what they are talking about and whoever comes in you have got to consider it," revealed Vinnicombe who has also been contacted by Exeter manager Peter Fox about a possible return to St James's Park.
The higher grade of football is more likely to appeal to the former Glasgow Rangers defender who will be looking for regular first-team action after being in and out of the Burnley side last season.
Vinnicombe, free to move under the Bosman ruling, admitted he was surprised to receive any sort of offer from the Clarets.
But at the time even manager Chris Waddle admitted that he didn't think it would be acceptable with the player believed to have been asked to take a pay cut.
"I have spent four seasons here and I felt it was time to move on," added Vinnicombe. "At the end of the season I was not getting in. I was in the squad but I was not playing. I was on the bench and not getting on and it gets a bit disheartening.
"He played Mark Winstanley at left-back and no disrespect to Mark but he's not a left-back, he's a central defender. If you are not really in the manager's thoughts it's time to move on."
The situation has changed in that Waddle has left Turf Moor and a new manager is set to come.
And Vinnicombe will talk to the new boss before severing his links with Burnley after making just over 100 league appearances for the club.
"Whoever comes in I will have to speak to them and see what they want to do, whether they want to keep me and give me a better offer or let me go and bring somebody else in," said the former England under-21 international.
Vinnicombe may not have to wait long to iron out his future at this end with Burnley hoping to make a managerial appointment at the back end of this week or early next.
The takoever may not be so crystal clear with Peter Shackleton's bid continuing to be dogged by problems.
The latest hold-up is believed to be down to legal wrangles with lawyers working on the deal.
Both sides are still thought to be committed to the deal but with frustrations beginning to surface from within the Burnley board things may have to move quickly for the package to retain its credibility.
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