Burnley need to put all their efforts into a repeat of Southampton transfer agreement: View | OneFootball

Burnley had been touted for a successful term on their return to the Premier League but defied their promising pre-season prognosis to fall well short of top-flight survival.

Fresh off the back of a disappointing campaign, the Clarets have no time to lick their wounds. While this season has not gone according to plan, Vincent Kompany has remained adamant that the Lancashire club possesses a strength in depth and level of technical quality deserving of a seat at the top table.

With the Belgian at the helm, Burnley must eye an instant return to the Premier League. The 38-year-old has a solid base to build on heading into the summer transfer window but will need to recruit a star attacker to fire the club to promotion.

This season, the North West outfit struggled to fill the void left by the departure of Nathan Tella. The speedy forward routinely terrorised defenders, created big chances, and scored 17 league goals during Burnley’s title-winning season.

Without their star man, who returned to parent club Southampton on loan before being sold for a £20 million fee to Bayer Leverkusen last year, the Clarets have been short of dynamism in the final third.

During Burnley’s successful 22/23 season, Kompany moulded Tella into his ideal attacker. The young coach transformed the player with a sub-par goal record into his team’s chief scoring threat.

At Turf Moor, playing alongside attacking foil Ashley Barnes, Tella was transformed into an instinctive and clinical finisher with lightning pace to split defenders and the ability on the ball to play off his other forwards to bring his deeper-lying teammates into play.

Through Tella, Kompany showcased his fantastic coaching ability. If the budget, scouting framework, and belief in the manager’s craft remain unimpacted by this season, Burnley fans should be hopeful that they can uncover a star talent to propel their side to promotion.

Burnley must address the Tella void

Throughout their dismal campaign, Burnley have operated without a Tella photofit and have paid the price for not sourcing a suitable replacement.

At the moment, it is hard to tell which of the Clarets’ recent recruits will come good and if any will take the Championship by storm.

While summer signings like 19-year-old Wilson Odobert have shown glimpses of talent, many of the club’s attacking arrivals have been thrown into the deep end and looked out of their depth in the Premier League.

That said, Kompany will have experienced, proven options at his disposal as he shapes his forward line for next season. Zeki Amdouni and Lyle Foster both threatened to find form in the top flight and will surely enjoy a more lucrative campaign in the division below.

Although Foster has been effective in transition this term, Burnley’s number seventeen would benefit from playing alongside an attacker with a willingness to run in behind. Amdouni would also appreciate the freedom afforded by a Tella type, who would stretch defences and open up space for the gifted Swiss to drive with the ball.

Lining up alongside a more dynamic attacker would afford both players the license to drop into pockets to receive possession; playing in a team likely to have lots of the ball, Foster and Amdouni will enjoy the opportunity to occupy a deeper position and link up to develop the Clarets’ play.

In searching for an answer to Tella in the upcoming transfer window, Kompany could look to strike a similar loan agreement with a Premier League club.

This time around, his team should look to insert an option to buy into the contract of their prospective attacking signing. Having failed to plug the hole Tella left behind, Burnley must ensure that they have the option to buy after they try.

Summer signings could shine in the Championship

Burnley have paid the price for ignoring the domestic talent pool and opting for overseas attackers this season but with the Championship's conditions favouring similarly technical players, the club may finally see their signings shine.

While, in the past, many international additions have acclimatised to the physicality and intensity of the top flight, arrivals from abroad can take time to adjust.

Last summer, the Clarets had a split transfer policy. Burnley looked to bolster their defensive options by bringing in players with EFL experience but the club from the North West cast their net across continental Europe to source new frontline alternatives.

Although some signings, namely Luca Koleosho, looked to have quickly adjusted to the pace of Premier League football, for others, their introduction to the top tier looked premature.

Kompany will hope that many of last season’s signings show signs of significant improvement in the second tier.

The majority of the attackers brought in by Burnley’s boss have exhibited high levels of technical ability and skill when given time and space on the ball. When the Clarets convincingly beat Sheffield United twice last term, the drop in intensity allowed struggling players to shine.

As a result, Burnley fans have every right to believe that last year's arrivals will improve, playing against lesser opposition. However, the Clarets should be proactive in sourcing talent from the domestic pyramid to avoid similarly jet-lagged signings.

If the club is to make an instant return to the Premier League, they must put all their efforts into emulating the Tella signing. By introducing an attacker with the right profile who fit the Kompany system and possessed the attributes needed for Championship success, Burnley struck gold and were repaid for their shrewd transfer activity with their title win.

Doing the same again feels of paramount importance.