Philip Billing signs: How Burnley FC's dream 2025 January transfer window may look | OneFootball

Amongst the early pacesetters this season, Burnley boss Scott Parker will already have half and eye on strengthening his squad in January

Burnley have made a respectable start to the Championship season, finding themselves third after nine games.

Some cnyics would argue it's a position Burnley ought to find themselves in after coming down from the Premier League last season, but after seeing their squad decimated over the summer, a more realistic view would be that the Clarets have adapted well to life after Vincent Kompany.

Scott Parker took over the reins in the summer and recruited a raft of new players, though none were particularly big-money arrivals, or certainly not to the level of fees at which Burnley had sold players for, with the Clarets reportedly recouping in the region of £100m over the summer.

Parker will be acutely aware that despite a respectable start to the season, his side have lacked in certain areas - particularly up front - where goals have been of grave concern.

But with the January window fast approaching as we head into the cooler months of 2024, Parker is given the chance to freshen up his squad in a bid to open the floodgates in the final third.

Sign - Morgan Whittaker

The Clarets had two bids rebuffed for the Plymouth man in the summer, so it's no secret that Parker admires the 23-year-old.

It would be amiss of Burnley not to revisit this situation in January, particularly if they're still competing at the top end of the table and can persuade the former Swansea man with a potential crack at proving his worth in the Premier League.

Goals are the one thing the Clarets desperately need, and Whittaker got 19 of them at this level last season, so the extra firepower he brings with him could be the key that unlocks the Premier League door for Parker's side.

Stay - Maxime Estève

One man Burnley simply must keep hold of in January is Maxime Estève - the man who is almost single-handedly holding their defence together this season.

Signed from Montpellier on an initial loan deal in January, Estève made his switch permanent over the summer and has established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet at Turf Moor.

He's yet to truly find a settled partner at the heart of defence, but the continuity he brings cannot be underestimated, nor can the balance he provides with the left foot. He's already bailed the Clarets out of several holes this season and is part of the reason why they've conceded only four goals this season - the second lowest in the league.

Sign - Philip Billing

A man Parker knows well from his time at Bournemouth, Burnley are crying out for someone like Billing to fill the glaring gap for some creativity in their midfield.

Whether he can be persuaded to drop down to the Championship remains to be seen, but having made just two Premier League appearances for Bournemouth this season, his football has been limited at best.

He'd bring some much-needed invention, and even presence, to the Clarets midfield, and with an eye for goal too, he could even help their goal scoring woes. Parker would be wise to work some magic in a bid to pull this one off.

Stay - Josh Brownhill

With his Burnley contract up at the end of the season, it would be tempting for the Clarets to try and cash in on their club captain while they still can.

That would be unwise though. As one of the longest serving players at the clubs, Brownhill shoulders the weight of relegation and knows what it takes to get the club back into the top-flight.

The nominal fee Burnley would receive for his services pales into insignificance as opposed to the extra six months service they would get knowing he's a key cog in the well-oiled machine aiming to get back to the top-flight.

Sign - Emmanuel Dennis

Left out of Nottingham Forest's Premier League squad, there appears to be no future at the City Ground for Dennis, who would be a shrewd signing for any Championship club in January.

With pedigree in English football from his time at Watford, there would be no settling in period for Dennis and he would be a sure-fire bet to boost Burnley's misfiring front line.

He made a similar move to Watford last January and netted four goals for them - strikes which Burnley could desperately do with in their battle to bounce straight back to the Premier League.