Lyle Foster scores big move to Burnley for reported SA transfer record

Bafana Bafana star forward Lyle Foster has scored a big move to England after signing with Burnley FC.

The English Championship log leaders announced the signing the 22-year-old Soweto-born former Orlando Pirates striker from KVC Westerlo in Belgium on Wednesday night.

If reports in the UK media are correct, The deal could smash SA's transfer fee record.

The website LancsLive reported the fee as worth €7m (R131m) with the potential to rise to €10m (R187m) if Burnley are promoted to the Premier League.

Steven Pienaar moved from Tottenham Hotspur back to top previous club Everton for €5.75m (about R58m at the exchange rate then) in 2012. In 1999 Benni McCarthy moved from Ajax Amsterdam to Celta Vigo for €6m (about R36m at the exchange rate then).

Burnley's official statement, though, said Foster was joining the English club for “an undisclosed fee”.

The has penned a four-and-a-half-year deal at Turf Moor and becomes the Clarets’ third signing of the January transfer window.

Foster began his career with Pirates after rising through their academy ranks and made 11 appearances for Bucs' senior team before a move to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco at the beginning of 2019.

“I'm very happy to be here,” Foster told the Burnley website. “I’m blessed and thankful for the opportunity and I just can’t wait to get started.

“From the moment I heard that there was interest from Burnley, my heart and my head were set on the club. I’m so happy to be here now. It’s a dream for me.”

Foster joins Burnley on the back of impressive form at Westerlo, where he has scored eight goals in 21 games in Belgium's top-flight Jupiler Pro League this season. He scored four in 23 last campaign.

Burnley lead the 24-team Championship after 28 matches and are strong favourites for promotion.

Foster's career has gained momentum in three years in Europe, which included a season-long loan from Monaco to top-flight Belgian side Cercle Brugge, where he made 18 appearances before the season was cut short in March 2020 by Covid-19.

Foster then signed for Portuguese club Vitoria SC before joining Westerlo on loan for the 2021-22 season. After a successful loan KVC signed the player on a permanent deal.

He is a key emerging player for Bafana — Foster scored a well-taken goal in the 2-1 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying defeat to Morocco in Rabat in June last year — and his move is sure to excite national team coach Hugo Broos.