Burnley FC face three transfer concerns, one involves Mike Tresor | OneFootball

Burnley face a pivotal January transfer window, and what they decide to do with Mike Tresor is at the forefront of their plans

The January transfer window looks set to be crucial in deciding what division Burnley FC will be playing their football in next season.

Bouncing back to the Premier League at the first time of asking is the ultimate aim, and the Clarets are well-positioned to make a tilt at automatic promotion, but their momentum could very easily come undone in January.

Amid links to several of their key players, Scott Parker's squad could look very different come the end of the window, and after a summer of turmoil a matter of months ago, that'll be something he's keen to avoid.

It's something that's become customary under ALK Capital though, whose business model is very much based on buying and selling players.

Burnley fans will hope it's just the buying of players that takes place in January, but there are three standout concerns looking ahead to the window.

Key players potentially having their heads turned by top flight clubs

Arguably the biggest concern of all for Burnley is if key players decide to move on, with Maxime Esteve, Luca Koleosho and Josh Brownhill, all of whom have been regular starters this season, all linked with moves away.

West Ham and Everton have previously been credited with an interest in Esteve, West Ham, Fulham and Brighton have recently been linked with a move for Brownhill, while former boss Vincent Kompany is eyeing up a reunion with Koleosho at Bayern Munich, which would be a huge move for the winger if it were to happen.

Esteve and Koleosho would both command large fees if they were to leave, but the gaping holes they would leave behind would be nearly impossible to fill.

Signing two players of the same quality to replace them would be a thankless task, particularly in January, which is notoriously a seller's window, as clubs bump up fees to offset the hindrance of losing players mid-season.

Brownhill is a different situation as he's out of contract in the summer, but his impact on the team would be irreplaceable in the meantime, so it's a huge concern to Burnley fans that Alan Pace could well cash in.

The Mike Tresor situation needs to be settled

Will he stay or will he go is the question on every Burnley fan's lips, but in truth, the Mike Tresor situation needs to be one of the first things Burnley resolve in January.

It's widely expected that he'll go after seemingly dragging his heels with his recovery from injury this season, and if Burnley can claw back some of the £16m they spent on him last season to take him from Genk, then it would go some way to helping bring in reinforcements elsewhere.

That money could be huge in the market for Burnley, whose loan-to-buy offers aren't attractive to selling clubs, but with money behind them, they could be a more attractive prospect.

If Tresor decides to stick the season out at Turf Moor, then he simply has to play.

He has the quality to exceed at this level, but his solution is simple: He either stays and plays, or he doesn't play and he gets sold.

Burnley FC fail to address their attacking shortcomings

You don't have to be the next Gary Neville or Jamie Carragher to see where Burnley's biggest issue lies, and that's in the final third.

An injury to Lyle Foster certainly hasn't helped their quest for goals this term, but it's evident that with what's behind him in the striking ranks, Parker needs to recruit a number nine in January.

There's an argument to be had that Burnley aren't creating enough chances either, as their ranking of big chances created is nowhere near as good as their lofty league position suggests it should be.

A striker is a 'must' in the window, while most Clarets fans would acknowledge a winger is also needed to take the burden off Koleosho, who is playing at the moment despite being bang out of form, simply because there's no one challenging his position.

Failing to add to thier attacking ranks in January could prove fatal to their chances of promotion, as right now, it's their rock-solid defence pulling them through.