Umar Sadiq signs: What Burnley FC's perfect January transfer window looks like | OneFootball

Amid some attacking struggles, Burnley need to add some firepower to their frontline in January

Burnley have been ticking along nicely this season as far as putting points on the board has gone, but a string of underwhelming performances have got fans a little concerned.

It's mainly in the final third where Burnley are running into major issues, and that's been a theme in most of their games of late, one highlighted by the fact they haven't scored from open play in any of their last four league outings.

A penalty against Swansea at least earned them a 1-0 win before the international break, but that didn't spare boss Scott Parker from coming under intense scrutiny from a growing portion of Burnley fans.

There's a sense among those fans that the Clarets simply need to remain in touch going into the January window where they can then address the shortcomings in the squad before hopefully kicking on in the new year.

Staying in touch will be the hard part given the substandard performances of late, and with a tricky-looking schedule on the horizon, there's plenty of work yet to be done for the Clarets.

Sign a striker

Burnley thought they'd solved their striking issue when they spent big on Lyle Foster back in January 2023, but for a number of reasons, Foster's move has never really worked out, with injuries being a leading cause.

He finds himself sidelined currently, and with no timeframe on his return, no one really knows when he'll be available again.

But even when he has been available for selection, he's flattered to deceive, and seven goals in 50 games for Burnley certainly isn't what you'd call prolific.

It's that reason why Burnley simply need to sign a striker in January, and Real Sociedad's Umar Sadiq could be that man.

He's endured a bit of injury hell since moving to Sociedad, rupturing his ACL in the infancy of his spell, and that's certainly held his career back, to the point where he barely gets a look in anymore and is something of a forgotten man.

Sadiq earned his stripes for Almeria in La Liga2, scoring 38 goals across two seasons for the club, but he's never truly been able to make the step up into La Liga.

At 27, he should be in the prime of his career, but instead he can't get a look in and could look to move in January for some regular football, and having proved he can be prolific in second tier football, Burnley could chance their arm to bring him to Turf Moor with the potential of playing Premier League football the season after.

Sell certain players to balance the books

Such is the financial position Burnley find themselves in, they'll have to sell players to balance the financial books, and fortunately, they do have several saleable assets.

Mike Tresor is the most obvious player to leave in an attempt to raise funds to spend elsewhere, as he is still yet to play for the club this season, and it almost feels obvious that he never will.

With the highest number of assists in Europe in 2022/23, he's unlikely to be short of suitors either.

Luca Koleosho throws up a fascinating dilemma. His performances this season have been well below the level you'd expect of a man who Burnley claimed was worth £40m in the summer, and the Clarets could choose to cash in on him and replace him with Morgan Whittaker, who they chased in the summer.

Selling Koleosho and replacing him with Whittaker, plus having money likely left over would seem to be smart business for Burnley, and that alongside a striker, would probably represent a perfect window.

Keep hold of key players

The worst case scenario for Burnley in January is that key players are sold, mainly those in defence like Maxime Esteve and James Trafford.

Defence has been the bedrock of the Clarets' success this season, so to break that up could prove to be catastrophic for their promotion hopes.

As one of their better performers last season, it was no surprise to see Everton and West Ham interested in his services over the summer, and his performances have continued on an upward trajectory this season.