Burnley transfer window Q&A including January plans, Josh Brownhill’s contract and Mike Tresor

Not a great deal of movement was anticipated this month given the hectic nature of the summer window, but 10 days in we’ve already had two arrivals and a handful of departures too.

Oliver Sonne signed for an undisclosed fee from Danish side Silkeborg while Ashley Barnes made a shock return from Norwich City. Going the other way, meanwhile, has been Owen Dodgson, Han-Noah Massengo, Andreas Hountondji and Michael Mellon, all on loan.

With three weeks still remaining, what else can we expect from the rest of the window?

We asked you to submit your burning Clarets-related questions for our Burnley FC writer Matt Scrafton - here they are:

What more business are Burnley likely to do?

I’d expect Burnley to be targeting another central midfielder to complement their current options, which are currently looking a little light following Massengo’s departure. With Hannibal suspended, Burnley will only have the three Josh’s – Brownhill, Cullen and Laurent – available to them at Reading in the FA Cup tomorrow. It’s also patently clear the Clarets lack a little spark in the final third, so a winger/forward is also likely to be on the agenda.

The problem is, Burnley do have Aaron Ramsey, Manuel Benson and Nathan Redmond to return from injury at one point or another – and as that fabled January saying goes, they’ll be like new signings once they return.

Many of you will be wanting the Clarets to sign a star striker, but with Barnes returning and Zian Flemming, Lyle Foster and Jay Rodriguez all at the club, they already have more than enough numbers given they only play with one up top. Burnley could perhaps do with more quality in that area of the pitch, but unless it’s a loan deal from a Premier League side, is January the right time to do it?

On the outgoings front, Parker has already admitted Shurandy Sambo is a player that could move on, most likely on loan, to get some more game time having not featured since August. The likes of Hjalmar Ekdal and Hannes Delcroix could also be potential candidates to move on due to their lack of game time.

How much room for manoeuvre have Burnley got?

Burnley initially named 23 players in their 25-man squad list following the closure of the summer window, although Shurandy Sambo was soon added back in to make it 24 once it became clear he wasn’t going to depart on loan. Since then, it’s otherwise been two in and two out with Sonne and Barnes arriving and Massengo and Hountondji leaving (Dodgson only counts as an Under-21).

Further space could be created with more departures, which is something Parker suggested could happen, so there’s certainly space to bring in some reinforcements.

Jordan Beyer was left out of the summer squad due to his long-term injury. While he’s making good progress he’s still thought to be a while away from returning, so it will be interesting to see if the German is included once the final list is submitted after January.

Sam Hawtin on X asks: Are we trying for a statement signing or just squad players?

I’m not entirely sure January is the right time to make ‘statement’ signings at the best of times, unless you’re struggling and need to make up some ground.

Given Burnley are in an incredibly strong position in the league, I think it’s likely to be one or two new additions to provide real competition for places. That’s not to say they’ll be here just to warm the bench, but perhaps a midfielder (Jonjo Shelvey?) to compete with Josh Laurent for that third spot in midfield or another winger to battle it out with Luca Koleosho and Jeremy Sarmiento, assuming Jaidon Anthony has one of the other wide berths locked down.

Dan Starkie on X asks: Is Mike Tresor going to play or leave on loan?

I thought this one might crop up! I thought Scott Parker’s comments at the start of January were quite telling when he admitted he’s not sure if Tresor will remain a Burnley player beyond the transfer window.

There’s clearly a desire from the club to get Tresor back on the pitch with both Parker and chairman Alan Pace saying words to that effect, but right now it doesn’t appear to be in the offing. If you’re asking for my opinion, and that’s all it is, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 25-year-old depart on loan.

Rodger Williams on Facebook asks: Don’t you think Josh Brownhill’s contract needs sorting out? We can’t let him walk away for free.

It does indeed need sorting out, but unfortunately that’s easier said than done.

I’m sure the club will have been in regular dialogue with their skipper (and others too, like CJ Egan-Riley and Connor Roberts), but with their contracts running down the power is in the hands of the player and their representatives.

Burnley are in a bit of an awkward position with all of their out-of-contract players as no-one knows what their divisional status will be next season. You can’t blame them for biding their time and waiting to see what will be on the table if/when Burnley are promoted, for example.

After everything Brownhill has done for the Clarets and the service he’s given, he’s well within his rights to shop around and see what’s out there, but hopefully Burnley can get themselves back in the top flight and reward the midfielder with a new deal.