Burnley captain Tom Heaton has shocked the club by rejecting a new contract offered to him. This has resulted in Premier League rivals Bournemouth expressing their interest in signing the English goalkeeper, as per The Sun.
Heaton has just a year remaining on his current contract at the Premier League club, having signed his last contract in 2016.
The 33-year-old, who is the captain of Burnley, is an important figure in the club despite being out for a majority of the 2018-19 season due to an injury.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart played in place of Tom Heaton last season.
Tom Heaton – Profile
The Englishman came through the ranks at Manchester United, but did not make even one senior appearance for the club. He made several loan moves before making a permanent move to Cardiff City, and then a brief stint with Bristol City before he joined Burnley in 2013 and has been with the club since then.
Heaton has been through the ups and downs that Burnley have experienced over the last few years, including promotion to the Premier League, subsequent relegation, and a return back to the Premier League.
His good form with Burnley resulted in a call-up to the England national team and he’s made 3 appearances for England since making his debut in 2016. In the 2018-19 season, Heaton made 22 appearances with 4 clean sheets in the Premier League.
Is Tom Heaton a good option for Bournemouth?
Artur Boruc and Asmir Begović were the two goalkeepers for Bournemouth in the 2018-19 season, but it seems like Begovic may leave the club as he is looking for more first-team opportunities next season. Nottingham Forest and Stoke City are keen on signing Begovic, as per reports.
Boruc signed an extension to his current deal which will see him be at the club for another year.
This means that Bournemouth need an experienced goalkeeper, which is where Tom Heaton fits in. Heaton has a lot of Premier League experience and is a reliable figure in between the sticks.
Heaton has just one year remaining on his current contract which means that Bournemouth could sign him for a reasonable price.
Still pretty good with his reflexes and solid with his distribution, Heaton would be a pretty shrewd addition to the Cherries.