THE festive period is fast approaching and with it comes the most dreaded period of the season - the January transfer window.

The rumours have started already and I think I’m up to five so far on the number of players we’ve been linked with.

Given our track record over the last few windows though I’m not going to be taking any notice of the paper talk... unless it’s on these pages of course.

I don’t want to pile too much pressure on Sean Dyche and our ‘transfer supremo’ Mike Rigg but I do think we’re overdue a strong transfer window.

That said, I’m not sure we’re in desperate need in many areas of the pitch.

The one area we do look a bit light is in centre midfield.

Jack Cork and Ashley Westwood have a great partnership in the middle of the park but when one of them gets injured then suddenly I get a bit panicky.

Yes, Jeff Hendrick can do a job in there definitely but with the rigours of the Premier League you need ample cover and we just don’t have that.

But who do you get to go in there?

I think we were all hopeful that Danny Drinkwater might be the magic bullet for in there but, as we all know, he’s had his well-documented night out that ended badly and he’s only just getting himself in a position where he might be considered for match action.

Completing 90 minutes midweek is a big step and if we can get him sharp enough - ‘Dyche fit’ even - ahead of the busy festive period then he might still have a part to play.

I’m hoping he’ll have the bit between his teeth and a point to prove because there’s no doubting he’s a top class player.

I mean, very few people win a Premier League championship medal do they?

Whether he’s a long-term option - and I feel wages might be an issue there - remains to be seen.

So it’s back to Rigg and his magic transfer software.

We’ve yet to reap any of the rewards we were promised when he arrived and I think January really needs to be crunch time.

We’re in a decent enough position in the Premier League table - albeit with a mixed run of games to come over the next six weeks - so we should be looking to be ambitious.

The money is there and while I wouldn’t want us to bet the ranch, I do want to lay down a marker.

Lack of competition for places - complacency some might even call it - is the biggest downfall of any team.

Without an bottomless pot of money we can‘t just go out and increase our squad to such a level that the bigger clubs can.  But we can show a bit more ambition than we have in previous windows.

We’re an established top flight club now and it’s time to move that to the next level.