TYRONE Mears’ agent is confident the right back will become a Burnley player on Monday.
Willie McKay accompanied the 26-year-old for talks with Owen Coyle at Turf Moor on Thursday, after Mears interrupted a family holiday in Marbella to meet with the Clarets boss face to face.
With a return flight booked later that day, the Derby County defender was operating to a restricted timescale. But he is due back in Burnley on Monday, when McKay fully expects his player to complete his move and become Coyle’s first signing since winning promotion to the Premier League a month ago.
“Tyrone looked around the place and spoke to Owen. It went well,” he said.
“He’s back on Monday and will probably sign on Monday.
“He’s happy with what Owen Coyle has had to tell him. He’s happy with the way he wanted to play and the way Burnley are going to play.”
The Clarets have faced competition for Mears’ signature, notably from Marseille, where he enjoyed a season-long loan spell last year, but look set to win the chase.
The fee is understood to be £500,000 - less than half the French club’s offer of 1.3million euros - plus add-ons, with a minimum three-year contract tabled.
And while he impressed Ligue 1 runners-up Marseille, scoring against Ajax as they progressed to the UEFA Cup quarter finals, his heart is set on returning to the Premier League, where he spent a season with West Ham United in 2006-07 after leaving Preston North End.
With Coyle working hard to strengthen his squad for Burnley’s first season in the top division for 33 years, it is possible that Mears won’t be the only new face next week.
But the Clarets boss is refusing to set any deadlines for summer signings.
“I don’t feel we have to sign players today or tomorrow because the group we’ve got have shown they can play and can play at a very high level.
"What we have to do is make sure we add the right ones at the right time, and if we can do that, to give them a helping hand, then that’s what we’ll try to do,” he said.
“In terms of a timescale I don’t feel I have to be turning players over day in, day out to get them in.
“We all love football and the fans love it when there are new signings, but when they come in they’ll come in.
“We need the right type, so we’ll continue in the avenues we’ve gone down, we’ll continue making the progress we’ve made and ask the questions we’re asking and ultimately see where we go from there.”
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