The making of Lyle Foster's move to Burnley - Agent

Foster joined Burnley last week from Belgian Jupiler Pro League side KVC Westerlo in a deal worth 11 million Euros (R208 million), signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Championship log leaders. 

Sleeuwaert explains how the move materialised over the course of four months.

"Well, it actually happened when I had a meeting with Matt [Moulding, Burnley Chief Operations Officer] in October already, [when] Lyle was on a high, he just scored two goals against Club Brugge, and I just said to him, 'This is one to look out for,'" he explained to SABC Sport.

"And then Lyle did amazing in the league [in Belgian], he kept on scoring goals and was very important for Westerlo, and that just made everything so convenient.

"But it was a very difficult one because Westerlo didn't want to let go of Lyle as he was so important to the team, and I can only say that we are so grateful that [the deal] actually happened, and that both Westerlo was constructive and Burnley really pushed and showed so much confidence in Lyle to get him here [in England]."

Former Belgian national team and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, who now coaches the Clarets, went to watch Foster in Belgium last month as he looked to make his final assessment and work towards rubberstamping the deal. 

"Vincent Kompany coming to the game was like a whole extra thing [and took negotiations] to another level – his presence was everything to push things up," Sleeuwaert added.

"The relationship [Kompany] has with Jonas [De Roeck] – the former coach of Lyle, he was the previous assistant coach of Vincent Kompany, so Westerlo, of course, wanted to co-operate and put themselves on that platform and step up."