Former Orlando Pirates star Lyle Foster will be back in the English Premier League next season. Could he leave Burnley, though?
Ex-Orlando Pirates star Foster is SA’s priciest player
Benni McCarthy was formerly the most expensive South African footballer ever when Celta Vigo paid Ajax €6m (R113 million) for his services. After Benni, Joburg-born playmaker Steven Pienaar was the second-most expensive. In 2011, he moved from Everton to Tottenham and fetched a fee of €3.6m (R67.6 million). The guaranteed fee that Burnley paid to Westerlo for Lyle Foster’s services shattered the record held by Benni since 1999. The Clarets paid €7m upfront, with a further €4m of add-ons triggered because of their promotion to the EPL. Foster’s move amounted to something approaching a staggering R225 million. One of the existing cash-rich EPL sides might be keen to take a punt on Foster’s fighting qualities, especially at a price around €13 million (R280 million).
Foster shone in a poor Burnley side
The Lancashire club paid a fee rising to €11m to sign Foster, and there’s no reason why a host of other Premier League clubs wouldn’t jump at the chance of signing the hard-working South African for around double that at least. Foster scored five goals and provided three assists in 24 top-flight appearances in 2023-2024; 22 were starts. It’s no exaggeration to say he was arguably their best player, and to produce those numbers in a side struggling at the basement is a superb achievement.
How will the Bafana man fare in the 2025-2026 Premier League season?
Burnley have won promotion to the promised land of the Premier League after guaranteeing a top-two finish in the 2024-2025 Championship table with two games to spare. Lyle Foster made 27 appearances under new boss Scott Parker with two goals and five assists. This was the ultimate response to relegation heartbreak in 2023-2024 when they finished 19th with 24 points. He’ll be eager to build on his numbers from their ill-fated campaign last time out.
Orlando Pirates are two steps away from banking R75 million
The eventual winners of this season’s Caf Champions League will take home $4 million (R75 million). That number has grown from $2.5 million in 2022. Orlando Pirates must negotiate a tough second-leg semi-final clash in Egypt against Pyramids after a hard-fought 0-0 draw in the first leg. If they advance to the final, either Mamelodi Sundowns or defending champions Al Ahly await them.
Is ex-Orlando Pirates star Foster going to leave Burnley for bigger things?
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