Even with Burnley sitting in the apparent comfort of 12^th position, fans of the club will be looking over their shoulders at the relegation pack, who will be looking to pull the Clarets back into the mire.

The January transfer window is notorious as being a difficult one. Clubs don’t want to sell their top performers and chairmen are reluctant to spend over the odds on a player who, in most cases, would be substantially cheaper in the summer market.

The Clarets are far better equipped for the second half of the season than they were in their last Premier League campaign under Sean Dyche.

The problem area of central midfield now has depth, quality and a variety that the club has not seen before. To quote the manager, “it is a tough market” and to try and second guess Dyche and his recruitment team’s next move is a difficult one. Here are THREE players the Clarets should target in this transfer window…

Charlie Taylor – Leeds United

Photo: Paul Roberts / Offside.

Out of contract at the end of the season, Elland Road youth graduate Taylor, who is described as strong, powerful and composed on the ball, would certainly fit the bill as a long-term successor to Stephen Ward (who is not finished yet by the way). York-born Taylor, who rejected a new contract at the start of the season, has also been on the radar of many top flight teams.

The 23-year-old, who was subject of a £4million bid from West Brom earlier this campaign, will need his next move to be a smart one for his career, and the current Leeds United number 21 would be encouraged to look in the direction of other defenders who moved to Burnley in their youth, Michael Keane and Ben Mee, whose stock continues to rise under the stewardship of former defender and manager Sean Dyche.

Alan Judge – Brentford FC

Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

The Clarets would do well to nip in for his signature whilst his stock is low. The former Blackburn Rovers man was en route for a place in Ireland’s Euro 2016 squad before a horror tackle, by Ipswich Town’s Luke Hyam, led to the midfielder breaking his leg back in April.

The 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and, assuming the Clarets carry out their due diligence on Judge’s injury, there is no reason why the Irishman, who scored 14 goals last season, couldn’t become a viable option for Dyche as he looks to add more creativity to his ranks.

A bid in the region of £1 million could sway it in Burnley’s favour at this stage, and the player would fit into the club’s wage structure.

Marc Pugh – Bournemouth

The midfielder was let go by the Clarets in 2006 without ever making a first team appearance. Steve Cotterill was the man at the helm as the club decided to give Chris McCann and Kyle Lafferty professional contracts, leaving the Pugh to make his mark elsewhere. The now 29-year-old has been an integral part of the Bournemouth set up during their rise through the leagues, however as the club brings in new bodies, Pugh’s influence is starting to wane.

It has been a stop-start campaign for the Cherries midfielder, after being unable to break into the first team at the start of the season, a hamstring injury kept him out until November. Since that point, Bacup-born Pugh, has featured in just four Premier League games for Eddie Howe’s men, although he did chip in with a winner against champions Leicester City.

Naturally right-footed, but with a tendency to operate from the left, Pugh doesn’t possess the blistering pace that the Clarets are searching for. However, he is an established Premier League player and would add an extra layer to the Clarets as an attacking force. You’d surmise a bid of three or four million may tempt the Cherries, as his contract is up in 2018.