Football League World
·3 de diciembre de 2024
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·3 de diciembre de 2024
FLW's Burnley fan pundit has given his verdict on how much money there will be available to spend this January
Burnley are in the mix for promotion straight back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Scott Parker’s side have remained an incredibly resolute defensive unit this season, conceding just six times in their opening 18 fixtures.
But some extra firepower might be needed when the January transfer window opens given how close the competition for a top two spot is at the moment.
The Clarets could be one of the busier sides when the market opens next month.
When asked how much they think the club will be spending in January, FLW’s Burnley fan pundit Will Lancaster responded by suggesting there should be some funds available.
However, he doesn’t expect a massive spending spree, even if the club recouped a lot of money last summer after the big spending after gaining promotion in 2023.
“I can see us spending a little bit, not too much,” Lancaster told Football League World.
“We recouped a lot of our outgoings in the Premier League summer transfer window this summer.
“The likes of Wilson Odobert, Sander Berge, Ari Muric, Dara O’Shea, I think between those four we’ve still recouped £80 million of the £110 million that we spent.
“So we’re not so far out of pocket.”
Lancaster highlighted the lack of firepower in attack in Parker’s squad as the key area he feels needs to be addressed this January.
“I think we definitely need a striker in January,” he added.
“As good as Jay Rodriguez has been since he’s come into the squad, he’s 35-years-old.
“Andréas Hountondji has not really found a way into the first team as of yet, so he’s quite unproven at Championship level still.
“And Lyle Foster was quite disappointing, I thought he’d have a really good season, the injury hasn’t helped, but he’s only scored one goal against Blackburn.
“So, I do feel like we’re short of firepower.
“Obviously we’ve got injuries coming back, the likes of Foster, Manuel Benson, who as we all know is a great Championship player, so I can’t see us spending a lot.
“But if we were to spend, I definitely would go for a proven striker or someone, even the likes of Evan Ferguson on loan, if we could land him on a temporary deal that would be ideal.”
Burnley will need to score more goals than they have done this season if they’re to earn a top two spot.
Parker’s side bagged nine in the opening two games, but have scored just 14 in the 16 fixtures played since.
Someone like Ferguson would be an excellent signing, although it would be surprising if he opted to drop into the Championship given his record in the Premier League.
While their defensive record is impressive, this will be difficult to keep up for the remainder of the campaign and cannot be relied upon to get them over the line in the automatic promotion battle.