Scott Parker must repeat £500k masterstroke on a bigger scale for Burnley FC this summer | OneFootball

The Clarets will have another go at Premier League survival this summer

Burnley's attentions are now set to turn to the Premier League transfer window after an incredible 100-point season in the Championship - and fans will be waiting with bated breath over the talent they'll look to bring to Turf Moor in the coming months.

The Clarets unfortunately couldn't get the Championship title over the line, with Leeds United's last-gasp winner at Plymouth Argyle on the final day of the season, meaning the Yorkshire outfit won the 'War of the Roses', but the bottom line is that the Lancashire side are still in the top-flight next season, and spending will be expected in a bid to keep them in the Premier League.

Money has already been spent on turning loan deals for Jaidon Anthony, Marcus Edwards, Zian Flemming and Bashir Humphreys into permanent members of their squad, but the Clarets will still have a pot of money to spend on potential incomings - and manager Scott Parker should look to repeat a simple £500,000 masterstroke that he oversaw in the summer, albeit on a much bigger scale due to an increased budget.

The Clarets' summer transfer window last time out was dominated by outgoings, with the likes of Sander Berge, Wilson Odobert, Dara O'Shea and Arijanet Muric all departing the club to give Parker an uphill battle to climb - and that, in turn, saw them land the likes of Anthony, Jeremy Sarmiento and Hannibal Mejbri, which all turned out to be strokes of genius.

But it was one lesser-known signing in Josh Laurent that went under the radar - and arriving for just £500,000 from bottom-half strugglers Stoke City, it wasn't the most inspiring signing on paper. However, Laurent massively turned up for the Clarets throughout the season despite concerns from Stoke fans over his ability, and his impact has been immense.

A naturally athletic central midfielder, Laurent may not have the technical ability of midfield partner Josh Cullen, or the goalscoring antics of Josh Brownhill - but what he can do that his teammates can't is offer a physical guard, alongside driving the ball up the pitch with ease, before acting as a shield for Burnley's imperious defence which boasts the likes of Maxime Esteve and CJ Egan-Riley.

The 30-year-old was thrust into the Burnley lineup for their biggest home game of the season against rivals Blackburn Rovers and impressed, before turning out in a 1-0 win over Leeds just two weeks later - and he finished the campaign with 25 starts for the Clarets, including a further 17 substitute appearances as Burnley blew away their opponents in style to record 13 wins from 16 in from February onwards, securing promotion.

As we all know, physicality is massive in the Premier League, and unless you are unbelievably gifted, a lack of athleticism can be a struggle for players.

With that in mind, having someone of his ilk alongside Cullen throughout the campaign will be vital for Burnley to pick up points across the board with a steely nature.

Laurent has that physicality in abundance, and although he's untested at Premier League level, signing someone similar to the former Reading man will be crucial for Parker to rotate through a testing schedule. Burnley had Berge for that last time out, and someone with similar ability to the Norwegian would suffice - especially if they are more technical on the ball than Laurent, who has shown sloppy passes at times this season.

Other areas will need to be targeted, but Laurent will deserve his place in the Premier League after a career of hard work to get there - and competition in his ilk will certainly be key to Burnley's survival chances.

If that competition can come in the form of an upscaled version of that £500k bargain, all the better.