Teenage Michael Essien’s move to Burnley collapsed over £60 per week wage

Michael Essien was on the verge of joining English club Burnley but the move collapsed due to the club’s reluctance to pay him just £60 per week.

Essien was on trial with Burnley, then in the third division, after shining for Ghana at the 1999 U-17 FIFA World Cup, where the Black Starlets reached the semi-finals.

While the Ghanaian impressed the Clarets, the club couldn’t sign him due to a policy that did not allow them to pay any player on trial more than £60 per week.

Essien joined Bastia after collapsed Burnley transfer

Essien eventually ended up at Bastia and would later establish himself at Lyon, where he won two Ligue 1 titles before securing a move to Chelsea.

“I discovered Michael Essien had been on trial here for a few days. One of the best players in the World Cup – and we hadn’t signed him,” former Burnley chairman Brendan Flood revealed some years ago, as quoted by talkSPORT.

“The club policy meant we wouldn’t pay an apprentice more than 60 quid a week. It smacked me in the face that the problem was a lack of communication within the club that stopped our youth guys making an exception to the rule.”

Essien became Chelsea’s record signing when the club forked out £24.4 million to price him away from Lyon in 2005.

He spent almost a decade at Stamford Bridge, helping the Blues to win two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the UEFA Champions League.

The 41-year-old also had stints with Real Madrid and AC Milan before calling time on his career after a brief spell with Azerbaijani side Sabail FK.

Essien has since taken to management and is currently serving as a first-team assistant coach at Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.

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