“Burnley were close to being relegated” – Player started planning escape in January

Burnley’s loan move for Quilindschy Hartman has been officially completed. The Dutch defender has now revealed the transfer had been in the works for months before it was finalised.

The 24-year-old has joined Espanyol on loan until the end of the season. He becomes one of the first concrete examples of the growing relationship between Burnley and the La Liga side under shared owner Alan Pace.

Hartman was presented by Espanyol on Wednesday and explained that discussions over the move began well before the summer transfer window.

“I spoke with Alan in December,” he said. “I also spoke a lot with Monchi and met Manolo the other day. From the beginning they gave me the feeling that they wanted me. I think Espanyol know the type of player I am.”

Burnley exit planned months in advance

Hartman also confirmed why he was spotted watching Espanyol in person back in January, something which fuelled transfer speculation at the time.

“There were already conversations with Alan from January,” he explained. “He invited me to see the club, the stadium and the city. That’s why I came to watch a match.”

According to the defender, his focus had effectively shifted towards Espanyol from that point onwards.

“The agreement started in January and from then on my mind was here. Burnley were close to being relegated, so I was already thinking about what to do next season. This was the best option for me and I’m happy to be here.”

Monchi explains why Burnley deal mattered

Espanyol sporting director Monchi admitted Hartman had been the club’s leading target to replace Carlos Romero. He suggested negotiations with Burnley had not been straightforward despite the shared ownership.

“After Carlos’ performances it was a priority to find a reliable replacement in time for Manolo to work with him from the first day,” Monchi said.

“He was the first name on the table. The negotiations were difficult because the other club is a strange club,” he joked, in an obvious reference to Burnley also being controlled by Alan Pace.

Hartman also spoke about the footballing reasons behind the move. He described the Premier League as “very intense” and argued that La Liga’s more measured style suits his game better.

He added that he expects to need time to adapt to the language and tactical differences, but believes Espanyol is the right environment to continue his development after Burnley’s relegation to the Championship.