MANAGER Sean Dyche has told the Burnley board “We need to be active” as he prepares to enter the final week of the transfer window.

The Clarets have missed out on one of their targets, Henri Lansbury, after the midfielder opted to sign a new three-year deal at Nottingham Forest yesterday.

They have been thwarted in numerous other attempts to prise players from their clubs.

Back in early July an offer in the region of £5million was rejected by Watford for Troy Deeney, with Dyche’s old club since going on to turn down double that offer, highlighting the Hornets’ determination to keep hold of last season’s top scorer.

Three offers for West Brom defender Craig Dawson, the highest being around £2m, have been rebuffed, while Wigan Athletic last week rejected a £4m offer for midfielder James McArthur and were told further approaches would not be welcome.

The Clarets have homed in on players whose clubs are unwilling to sell, certainly not for the fees tabled.

Burnley have so far made seven signings since winning promotion to the Premier League.

But with time running out in the bid to bolster his squad, Dyche said: “We need to be further active.

“We need a demand from the squad. We’re still light in numbers, we were ever so light last year.

“We knew that had to change.

“We’ve been active in the market already but people forget there were four who went out and (seven) came in.”

Nevertheless, Dyche maintains that the squad as it stands can be competitive in the Premier League, praising his side’s mental toughness in responding to Chelsea’s emphatic first half in their opening game.

“The thing I was really pleased with was the mentality of the players the other night, because that’s a tough thing going in at 3-1 when they’ve had a fantastic 20 minutes,” said the Burnley boss.

“That can be unnerving but I thought the players held steady, the tactical shape of the team held steady, and still threatened at least.

“Ingsy (Danny Ings) went through immediately, Juke (Lukas Jutkiewicz) flashed one across which Ingsy nearly gets a touch on, Scotty Arfield gets a fantastic save off a top class keeper.

“We were still at least threatening.

“I know that sounds mad but it’s important.

“There are games that you see in the Premier League with teams like Chelsea and Manchester City where they hardly get a threat on their goal. But we did that and that was pleasing for me, as regards the change around in the two halves.”

Ahead of this afternoon’s game at Swansea, Dyche added: “We had a relentless mentality last year and no matter what happens we need that mentality.

“You can’t guarantee a result, no-one can, particularly going into the Premier League. But what we can guarantee is we have a mentality that is rock solid and we absolutely keep going and going.

“Strange things happen on the football pitch and you can make them happen, so that is one thing that we certainly be coming away from.

“We want to add with the quality of course, the tactical understanding, and that will come with the more games they play, but the physicality was there as well, the stats were through the roof, which is fantastic.

“We think we’ve moved them on again, physically, and I think the stats proved that the other night.”