Maxime Estève Scout Report At Burnley 2024/2025: The New Premier League Wall – Player Analysis

France has long been a conveyor belt of top-level centre-back production.

In recent years, the Premier League has benefited significantly from this tradition, with players like William Saliba, Ibrahima Konaté, and Maxence Lacroix making their mark.

Joining this group next season is Burnley’s 6’4 left-sided centre-back, Maxime Estève.

At just 22 years old, Estève has arguably been the best centre-back in the EFL Championship this season.

While he briefly tasted Premier League football during the 2023/24 campaign after arriving on loan from Montpellier before making the move permanent, Burnley’s relegation temporarily halted his top-flight ambitions.

However, this time, Estève returns to the Premier League brimming with confidence after a season of dominant performances that have put him on notice and attracted interest from other Premier League clubs.

This analysis will examine his game in detail, integrating his strengths and weaknesses and assessing his tactical fit.

Maxime Estève Ball-Carrying & Build-Up Play

Estève’s ability to carry the ball forward and reset/recycle play when necessary has been key to Burnley this season.

He has the ability to let the ball run across his body to create space and open up new passing angles, which helps Estève avoid pressure from the opposition to progress the ball.

He forces direct opposition to commit, creating space for teammates in advanced areas.

Statistics show his involvement in possession: Estève averages 61.97 passes per 90 minutes, placing him in the 90th percentile among defenders outside the top five leagues.

Additionally, he registers 78.54 touches per 90 minutes, also in the 90th percentile, with nearly half of these touches (38.77) occurring in the middle third of the pitch.

However, his 26.55 touches per 90 in the defensive third, a figure below the positional average of 32.66, may indicate that he is not to impose his technical identity during the early phases of possession.

Estève appears to be well-suited to a play style that relies on greater verticality and quick transitions.

However, his composure on the ball also makes him valuable in scenarios where resetting play is required—for example, by passing backwards after breaking the first line of pressure.

Estève demonstrates a strong understanding of spatial dynamics, particularly in transitional phases.

By drawing opponents toward him before offloading the ball backwards or laterally, he disrupts pressing structures and creates space for teammates to exploit.

Additionally, his passing mechanics, marked by proper body orientation and weight distribution, allow him to deliver long balls without telegraphing his intentions.

This is most effective when switching play to the weak side or bypassing midfield congestion, where his vertical passing excels.

However, his limited range of shorter, incisive passes reduces his ability to break lines during slower, more controlled build-up phases.

From Maxime Estève pizza chart below, the data used is percentile values calculated for players within the EFL Championship and Estèves positional peers, where the 50th percentile represents the league median for the selected position.

Maxime Estèves percentile rankings in progressive passes (36.5) and dangerous passes (31.33) reveal below-average performance compared to his peers.

While his overall passing volume (93.8 percentile for passes per 90) and accuracy (89.4 percentile) are high-level, his reluctance to attempt riskier passes limits his ability to break lines or create attacking opportunities.

This suggests that Estève is more conservative with possession, favouring safety and reliability over vertical progression.

Maxime Estève Stats

Tactically, Estève excels in systems that prioritise quick transitions or counter-pressing.

His ability to bypass pressure with direct passing suits teams that rely on rapid ball recovery and vertical play.

Converse