Burnley will be extremely thankful West Ham transfer advances never progressed | OneFootball

Maxime Esteve remained at Turf Moor amid interest from the Hammers in the summer, and has been a key player so far this term

Burnley had a real battle on their hands to keep hold of their top players in the summer after a tough relegation back to the Championship but will be pleased that they managed to stop one man in particular leaving after his standout performances so far this term.

The Clarets did not impress consistently as a team in the Premier League and went down with 24 points in May, but some individual players did manage to display their talents in the top flight, and so were linked with moves away from Turf Moor throughout the summer transfer window.

The likes of Wilson Odobert, Sander Berge, Dara O'Shea, and Aro Muric all departed the club for new Premier League pastures, and boss Vincent Kompany was also surprisingly poached by Bayern Munich just weeks after the campaign ended.

French centre-back Maxime Esteve was widely reported to be on his way out of Turf Moor, despite only joining the club on a permanent deal in May, as numerous top clubs, including West Ham, tried hard to secure his services after he had impressed in his loan-to-buy move from Ligue 1 side Montpellier.

His potential departure never materialised, however, and he has been a key player for Scott Parker this season, while also penning a new long-term deal with the Clarets last month to commit his future at the club until 2029, and so Burnley will be very thankful that he has stuck around to help them in their aim to return to the top flight this term.

Maxime Esteve nearly left Burnley in the summer window

It did not come as a surprise to see a host of clubs linked with Esteve throughout pre-season after he had started 15 games in the second half of the campaign following his January switch from Montpellier, and impressed at the heart of defence under Kompany despite the team's poor form.

The 22-year-old's €15m buy clause was activated almost immediately after the season had ended, and so the battle for his signature commenced, with the Clarets likely feeling as if they had secured his services for a relative steal, given the fee that it would have taken to prise him from their grasp.

West Ham's interest was first reported by L'Équipe in late May, as it was claimed that they had opened talks over a potential move, with Everton also tracking his availability.

Speculation around a possible deal continued into June, as the Sunday People revealed that the Hammers were set to offer Esteve the chance to stay in the top flight, yet their interest seemingly fizzled out as Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo each arrived in East London from Wolves and OGC Nice respectively.

Wolves themselves were soon linked with a move for Esteve, as Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Molineux club had asked for conditions around a possible deal, yet those reports were soon claimed to be wide of the mark, and no offer was tabled.

With transfer interest looking to be over into the final week of the window, Bundesliga side Hoffenheim reportedly submitted a late loan-to-buy bid for the 22-year-old, but once again, nothing came of the interest, and he remained in East Lancashire as the deadline ticked by.

Esteve has been one of Scott Parker's key men this season

Esteve's clear ability from last term meant he was predicted to be one of the best central defenders in the Championship this season, and he has lived up to that billing so far, with some stellar performances at the heart of Parker's defence to date.

He has been a mainstay at the back in the Clarets' great start to the new campaign, with starts in all 12 league games, and has formed a strong recent partnership with CJ Egan-Riley.

The 22-year-old has been a key part of a side that has already kept seven clean sheets so far this term, with just five goals against them in the Championship, and only one conceded in their last six outings.

Esteve admitted that the club was "very special" to him upon penning his new deal last month, and tying him down to a new long-term contract was a real result for the Clarets, as it represents just how much faith he has in Parker and the club to get it right this season and be successful in their return to the Premier League.

It remains to be seen whether they will achieve that promotion come May, but they certainly look to be on the right track in second place as it stands, and it seems very unlikely that Esteve will be going anywhere anytime soon.