Bikey deal getting closer

The clubs have been locked in talks for much of this week and even when a fee was agreed the method of payment was initially proving to be a stumbling block. It looks as though that might now have been resolved which will leave Burnley free to talk to the Cameroon defender who to date has not been involved in the talks.

It is very likely now that Bikey will be a Burnley player before we travel to Stoke on Saturday for our opening day fixture. He can be nothing more than a spectator though as he continues to serve out a suspension.

He hasn't played for Reading since he stormed off the Turf shirtless in stoppage time at the end of the play off semi-final first leg in May and it was that which in the end landed him with a five match ban.

He served the first of those games in the second leg and has already served two more this season, one league and one Carling Cup. That leaves two more games, but as Spurs have highlighted this week his suspension will be based on Reading games. They play again on Saturday and then the following Tuesday leaving Bikey free to play from next Wednesday which, should he be a Burnley player, would leave him free to play against Manchester United.

Bikey joined Reading from Lokomotiv Moscow for £1 million following a successful loan and has gone on to make over 70 appearances for them.

There have been suggestions that the fee could be anything between £1.8 million and £2.8 million but should this deal be completed he'll certainly smash the Burnley record buy for a defender which was set over nine years ago when current coach Steve Davis returned from Luton in a £750,000 deal.