BURNLEY are making a third attempt to land Craig Dawson as they return with another bid for the West Brom defender.

Clarets boss Sean Dyche has identified Dawson as his top centre back target this summer but admitted after Tuesday’s friendly match at Preston that some deals were taking longer than he had hoped to secure.

Burnley have already had bids of around £1m and £1.5m rejected by West Brom for Dawson but Dyche is determined to get his man and the Clarets are now going back in with another offer, thought to be an initial £2m.

Dawson is known to be eager to join the Clarets in search of regular first-team football and is back in the country this week after returning from West Brom’s pre-season training camp in California.

The 24-year-old featured for 69 minutes in the Baggies’ 3-1 win over Sacramento Albion on Saturday.

Since Burnley saw their second bid rejected a fortnight ago, Dawson has been contemplating making an official transfer request in an attempt to secure a move to Turf Moor.

It is understood that he has not yet done so, but West Brom’s response to the Clarets’ latest bid could bring things to a head one way or the other.

Dawson has grown unhappy at the Hawthorns after making only 17 Premier League starts in three seasons.

Dyche wants to add numbers to his squad before the opening game of the campaign against Chelsea on August 18 and has stressed that Burnley are working hard to get deals done.

“We still feel as though we can add to our numbers, which we're looking to do,” he said.

“We’ve been linked with 64 players this week, we can’t sign them all!

“But there are a couple of things that are ongoing and a couple of fresh things that are just developing.

“It is a bit protracted with a couple of things, but sometimes that's the nature of how it is if you can't throw money everywhere.”

Asked how many players he would like to add before the summer transfer window shuts, he said: “There’s not really a number on it.

“Obviously the Premier League has a 25-man squad situation so we have to look at that.

“But that doesn’t mean we have to have 25, we have to look at the financial numbers as well.

“There’s not a definite number but we just know that we still need more reinforcements at the moment.

“It’s a double edged sword, if things happen now we want them to happen now make no mistake, but if they don’t it does allow you that time.

“Weird situations, good situations and not so good, all open up in that last couple of weeks beyond the beginning of the season.”