Sevilla star should be top of Burnley FC's three-man transfer shortlist | OneFootball

The January transfer window could be huge in deciding which league Burnley are playing in next season

The January transfer window promises to be make or break to Burnley's aspirations of making an instant return to the Premier League, so it's crucial they get the recruitment right.

While bringing players in is of the utmost importance, retaining what they've got is also key, with big name stars Maxime Esteve, Luca Koleosho, James Trafford and Josh Brownhill all being linked with moves away recently.

Burnley hold all the power where player sales are concerned, as they can simply refuse to sell during the middle of a promotion push, or, if they want to, bump their price up to accommodate.

Recruiting players has been a little harder though, with the financial constraints that come with relegation making it difficult to recruit players on a permanent level.

Both Zian Flemming and Jaidon Anthony arrived on loan to buy deals in the summer, and the fear is that if Burnley go down that route again, they may struggle to recruit.

They do have three clear areas of improvement though, and their January shortlist could look a little bit like this...

Plymouth's Morgan Whittaker was another player who Burnleytried to sign on a loan to buy basis in the summer, but Argyle boss Wayne Rooney dubbed the offer "laughable", so there is the fear of burning bridges in an attempt to resurrect this deal.

If Burnley can repair some of those bridges though, they could land themselves a target who is exactly what they need in the forward areas.

It's no secret that scoring goals has been Burnley's undoing this season, as they've struggled to make all of their possessional dominance count, but Whittaker could help with that if he can rediscover his form of last season.

His form this term has dipped a little, and he's been injured at points this season, but if he was playing in a Burnley side who dominate games more than Plymouth do, then you would probably see a different player.

2 Luke Thomas

Probably something of an obscure link, but Luke Thomas could potentially be someone Burnley look to sign on loan to solve their issue at left back, which has been a problem area all season.

Lucas Pires and Bashir Humphreys have shared responsibilities there this season, but neither have particularly made the position their own, so there is scope for someone to come in and take the shirt.

Thomas certainly isn't a regular at Leicester, and he could look for a loan move in January to get some regular minutes.

He had loan spells at Sheffield United and Middlesbrough last season, so Burnley could well chance their arm to bring him in on a temporary basis to aid their promotion push.

1 Kelechi Iheanacho

Another man with links to Leicester, Kelechi Iheanacho, should be top of Burnley's January shortlist as they continue to seek a remedy for their attacking woes.

After leaving Leicester for Sevilla, it's believed that the Nigerian forward is available in January, and Championship rivals West Brom and Watford are believed to be in the race for his signature.

The Clarets can't afford to let that happen though, as he's the perfect fit for what they need up front - he's a great back-to-goal player which Parker likes, and he can score goals too, which every striker should do.

His goals could be the difference between automatic promotion and a play-off berth for Burnley and his signature should be their number one January priority.