Charlie Taylor Defends His 'No-Brainer' Decision to Quit Leeds United for Burnley
Charlie Taylor signed a 4-year contract at Burnley on Friday morning, signalling the end of a 14-year stint at his former club Leeds United.
Taylor was out of contract at Elland Road come the end of the 2016-17 season, and after enduring a troublesome spate at the Whites towards the final weeks of the previous campaign, the 23-year-old - speaking to the club's official website - insisted that his switch to Turf Moor was a 'no-brainer' and is seemingly ready to 'crack on' in his new surroundings.
Liverpool's Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum (L) vies with Leeds United's English defender Charlie Taylor during the EFL (English Football League) Cup quarter-final football match between Liverpool and Leeds United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on November 29, 2016. / AFP / Paul ELLIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)
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“It’s my first move permanently away from Leeds, so it’s something different for me but something I can’t wait to crack on with," he claimed.
“I’ve been there since I was nine and I knew it was the right time. There were so many things that attracted me to Burnley; it ticks every box and it was a no-brainer.
“That’s the huge attraction of the Premier League, just everything about it! Week in, week out you are playing teams like Chelsea and Manchester United, so I just can’t wait to get started.”
With Taylor being under the age of 24, United will receive compensation from the Clarets, despite being a free agent; a fee which will be finalised via a tribunal, after Burnley failed to agree with Leeds' proposed valuation.
Leeds supposedly value Taylor in excess of £5m, whilst believing that a tribunal award could lead the figure to rise to at least £7m - a potential inflation which deterred West Bromwich Albion's advances for the left-back last month.
With Taylor heading to pastures new under Sean Dyche, his former employers offered their support in the defender with this statement:
“Compensation has yet to be agreed for the player, should an agreement not be made, we will enter into a tribunal process. We wish Charlie well for the future.”
