Burnley FC should push to sign Morgan Whittaker and Lyon star as soon as next week | OneFootball

The January transfer window is now open, and Burnley should be looking to tie up these two deals

The January transfer window is officially open, and not before time for Burnley, who will be desperate to dip into the market to bolster their squad ahead of the promotion run-in.

They've already done some business this month, swooping to add right back Oliver Sonne to their ranks, but it's at the other end of the pitch where most Clarets fans acknowledge they need reinforcements.

While it looked like Burnley had turned a corner in front of goal after the November international break, further shortcomings over the festive period showed that those performances were nothing more than a temporary reprieve for Scott Parker, who is now under pressure to solve the problem again.

Fortunately for him, the January window is the perfect opportunity in which to do so, but most of Burnley's action in the window this month is expected to be on the loan front, so recruiting top-quality players could be tricky.

Still, that's a challenge Alan Pace and the Burnley board will have to try and overcome to aid their promotion push.

Morgan Whittaker

A long-standing target of Burnley's, returning in the near future to sign Morgan Whittaker should be high on Pace's list of priorities, as he could be the key to unlocking the close games that they often struggle with.

The Clarets have had a long-standing issue of breaking down low blocks this season, so a player with a magic moment in him such as Whittaker could help in turning draws into wins, which has been problematic for the Clarets this term.

Burnleytried to sign Whittaker over the summer but were rebuffed by Plymouth, largely due to their offer being "laughable" in the words of Wayne Rooney, but now he's gone, and Argyle are looking likely to be down the bottom of the table come May, Whittaker could be keen to leave in January.

That's a scenario Burnley can potentially try and exploit to boost their attack, and Whittaker, on paper at least, is someone who, despite his downturn in form this season, could massively boost their promotion hopes.

Said Benrahma

Another of Burnley'sreported targets is Said Benrahma, who is another type of player who the Clarets desperately need to try and recruit in the coming weeks if they're serious about finishing in the top two.

With the ability to play on either wing and as a number 10, Benrahma is a perfect fit for Burnley, and he's historically proved he's capable of producing a magic moment which not many players in the current Clarets squad can.

With Burnley keen on a loan deal, if Lyon were willing to entertain it, it's certainly a deal that seems plausible, but Pace may have to move quickly to get it wrapped up as he certainly wouldn't be short of English suitors after impressing largely with Brentford.

His star quality is certainly something the Clarets need, and his phenomenal record at Championship level proves he could be the difference between a play-off finish and automatic promotion.