Burnley boss Vincent Kompany has no qualms adding to loan contigent

The rules state EFL clubs can name a maximum of five loan players within their 18-man matchday squad, with Kompany so far bringing in Taylor Harwood-Bellis from former club Manchester City, Ian Maatsen from Chelsea and Nathan Tella from Southampton.

Burnley are also interested in Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer, should Steven Gerrard permit the young forward to further his experience away from Villa Park.

Harwood-Bellis, Maatsen and Tella are among the Clarets’ standout performers so far this season, and Kompany – trying to manage the club’s finances prudently after relegation from the Premier League and the fall out from that – said: "You use the loan market well, and you can find players who can make other players around them better as well.

"But in general, what I like about these type of players is they keep improving during the season because of their age, so you have to expect they will have ups and downs in a season, that's what happens with younger players.

"But at the end of the season I hope we have an even better version of these guys, and the team can grow around them.

"You don't usually have a team which is only experience, you want a nice balance, if you have a team with guys like Taylor – or I could name about 10 in the squad – within three months time will be better players again, and it is a good perspective for us to grow during the season.”

The likelihood is Burnley won’t be able to afford to sign their loan trio at the end of their stay – if their parent clubs are prepared to sell in the first place, and Kompany added: “We're doing our best to jack the price up for sure! For Taylor, we're helping well with Maatsen, Nathan, but it's fair game, they give us something in the short term and they buy into the club as well, which is important.

"I do want to state that, the players that are here, not for one second would I allow any of the players to come here and treat it as a loan club, they are Burnley players.

"In their minds, I'm sure they think they could be here for 10 years and are really happy here, but okay, if the financials don't work out, it's more important we help them as members of the squad to perform.

"They have to be good to play as well.”

Asked how hard it was to build unity and togetherness with players who might not be here next season, Kompany countered: “I've been used to working with those, it's something that has helped me quite a few times in my coaching career, it's just about the right talent with the right attitude and mentality, and on that level, I don't think we would make a mistake in that.

"The talent is right, the mentality is right, and the rest is like any other player, sometimes they will be good, sometimes they won't be, but with time and consistency, you will have players who will do well this season.”