Morgan Whittaker in: Burnley FC's dream XI for next season ft 4 realistic signings | OneFootball

Following a woeful Premier League season, Burnley will be returning to the Championship after being crowned second tier champions in 2023.

Despite the Clarets' recent relegation, former boss Vincent Kompany joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in May, and is tasked with bringing the title back to the Allianz Arena following a remarkable unbeaten domestic season from Bayer Leverkusen, who were helped by the services of Nathan Tella, who played a key role in Burnley's Championship glory the previous season.

The Turf Moor outfit will be vying for yet another immediate top-flight return, and including four potential new signings, this could be the Clarets' dream starting 11 for the 2024/25 campaign:

Goalkeeper: Arijanet Muric

Both Arijanet Muric and James Trafford endured spells as Kompany's number one goalkeeper in the Premier League last campaign, with the Kosovo international starting each of the last 10 games in the Premier League after the Englishman's 28 appearances.

Trafford's involvement in the senior England squad this year after he saved a penalty to win the Under-21 Euros for his nation last summer, has intensified transfer interest in his services, while the Clarets would love to retain Muric, whose performances between the sticks guided the Lancashire outfit to the 2023 Championship title as he kept 17 cleansheets.

Brazilian full-back Vitinho, who can play either side of the back four, has made 67 league appearances for the Clarets over the last two seasons.

Although he was a member of a leaky defence who conceded 37 goals in the Premier League, he is still the ideal candidate to fill the right-back slot for the Clarets, as he proved his worth during the 2022/23 second tier season, and he provides quality going forwards.

Centre-back: Dara O'Shea

Ireland international Dara O'Shea joined the Clarets from West Brom last summer, and made 33 Premier League appearances for the Turf Moor side after showing his quality in a Baggies shirt for four consecutive Championship seasons.

At 25-years-old, O'Shea still has plenty of time to develop as a defender, while he is also dangerous at the other end of the pitch after scoring three Premier League goals and providing four assists.

Remarkably, the Ireland international created the second-highest number of goal contributions for his team in the top-flight last campaign, while his stint with the Baggies proved he is a solid Championship centre-half.

Centre-back: Rob Dickie

Bristol City defender Rob Dickie could be an ideal replacement for Maxime Esteve, who made 16 Premier League outings after joining the Clarets on loan from French Ligue 1 side Montpellier in January.

After two seasons with QPR, Dickie has excelled for the Robins, and according to FotMob, he won 67% of aerial duels he faced during the 2023/24 second tier campaign, which shows his defensive solidity, while he also boasted a pass accuracy of 85.2%.

Furthermore, the 28-year-old can also contribute in forward areas, as he scored five goals and made one assist last season, but it could be a tough task for the Clarets to lure him away from Ashton Gate while he is under contract until 2026.

Left-back: Harrison Burrows

Peterborough United left-back Harrison Burrows is an absolutely class act who scored six goals and provided 14 assists in League One for Posh last campaign.

His impressive exploits in the third tier surely mean that the 22-year-old is deserving of a chance at Championship level, and the Clarets could be ideal suitors.

He could play a similar role in the side to that of Ian Maatsen during the 2022/23 Championship title winning season, in which the Dutchman scored four goals and provided six assists while on loan from Chelsea, prior to a subsequent loan move to German giants Borussia Dortmund, who he recently represented in the Champions League final.

Central midfield: Josh Brownhill

Josh Brownhill was arguably one of the bright sparks in a miserable Premier League season for the Clarets, as he made six goal contributions in 33 matches and 23 starts.

But during the previous Championship campaign, the 28-year-old really showed his class as he scored seven goals, which he complemented with a further eight assists.

Brownhill was key to the way in which the Clarets played possession football under the stewardship of Kompany, while his passing qualities are likely to continue to be a strong asset for his side.

Central midfield: Sander Berge

Former Sheffield United man Sander Berge was signed by the Blades during the 2019/20 Premier League season, and won promotion back to the top-flight with his former club in 2022/23.

He is a strong player at Championship level, who the Clarets signed from his former club ahead of their top-flight campaign, and while he was somewhat underwhelming in the Premier League, he is certain to showcase his class once again in the second tier.

Berge is a tenacious player who would provide protection for a potentially attacking Clarets back four, and according to FotMob, in his last second tier season, he won 71.1% of tackles he attempted.

Central midfield: Josh Cullen

Josh Cullen is a player whose metronome style in midfield epitomised the possession-based philosophy of former Burnley boss Kompany, while in the Premier League he maintained a pass accuracy of 86.7%, as per FotMob.

In the Championship, Cullen boasted an even more impressive pass accuracy of 88%, while also completing 90% of dribbles he attempted, which proves his quality on the ball.

The Ireland international will likely be at the heartbeat of everything positive the Clarets do once more, should his club mount yet another promotion push.

Right wing: Morgan Whittaker

Plymouth Argyle sensation Morgan Whittaker is an exceptionally gifted footballer, and the Pilgrims even received an offer from Serie A outfit Lazio for his services back in January.

Such high-profile interest in the 23-year-old undoubtedly means that a Clarets swoop for the Englishman would be an ambitious one, but the Lancashire side could tempt him away from the southwest due to their promotion credentials, if they are able to put the right offer on the table.

Whittaker produced an eye-catching Championship return of 19 goals and eight assists last time out, while his potent eye for goal is a quality the Clarets would certainly benefit from.

Striker: Jay Stansfield

During a loan spell at Birmingham City, Jay Stansfield proved he is a clinical striker who scored 12 goals in the Championship for the Blues despite the club's relegation to League One.

At just 21-years-old, the forward is still a developing player, but one whose services the Clarets could certainly reap the rewards of, given the fact that last season's club top goalscorer in the Premier League, Lyle Foster, managed just five goals.

Stansfield could be available on a loan basis once more, as he will presumably remain behind the senior forward Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz, who really discovered his goalscoring touch last campaign, in the pecking order at parent club Fulham, which could give the Lancashire outfit an opportunity to snap him up.

Left wing: Scott Twine

The Clarets signed Scott Twine from Milton Keynes Dons ahead of the 2022/23 season, after he excelled for the Buckinghamshire side during the 2021/22 League One season by producing a remarkable tally of 20 goals and 13 assists.

The 24-year-old spent the first half of the following season on loan at Hull City, prior to a subsequent loan move to Bristol City, where he played as a left-sided forward supporting frontman Tommy Conway.

During the last second tier campaign, Twine's combined goal contribution tally for both the Tigers and the Robins was six goals and three assists, which is something he can certainly build from in a strong Clarets team, should the Turf Moor outfit offer him such an opportunity to unlock his potential.