Coyle refusing to panic

The Clarets have until midnight next Thursday to make permanent additions to their side, while the option for loan signings will extend beyond that deadline.

Coyle had hoped that at least one deal would be done this week, following the £1.5million sale of Andy Gray to Charlton Athletic. However, that has not materialised, and neither did the "closure" on the situation he was searching for yesterday.

"We did get back to one on Monday, but it has dragged on longer than it should have, and I have to say that is through no fault of ours," he explained.

"It has been frustrating, but we have been patient and respectful of the club involved.

"I (expected) to hear something back on a couple of things by lunchtime, but we remain actively in pursuit of a few players.

"Over the course of the last fortnight we have made bids of over £2million for three or four different players.

"Some of those bids are still with the respective clubs and others we have been told we would need to improve those offers, which we haven't done at this point.

"None of the deals are dead in the water and they can be resurrected at any point.

"With some of the offers we have got in, if one of them gets back to us to say it is accepted, then you would look to move things on quickly.

"And hopefully, if that was the case, we would have someone in for (today).

"As it is, it might well be that the bid is not enough, or that player is not available.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but we are, actively, in pursuit of a few players.

It is not yet clear which one of his targets Coyle was seeking "closure" on.

Alan Lee is a possibility, with the striker reportedly reluctant to leave Ipswich Town, but it could also apply to Derek Riordan, who has indicated he would happy to join the Clarets from Celtic if an agreement was reached, after the Scottish Premier League champions rejected Burnley's £400,000 bid.

His agent, Jim McArthur said: "Five clubs want Derek on loan, but if he's to go it must be on a permanent basis.

"The only club to have made an official offer is Burnley for £400,000 plus add-ons.

"Derek would be very keen to speak with them if an agreement was reached."

But Coyle has reiterated he won't be bullied into meeting financial demands.

And with players returning from injury and suspension to swell a squad that was heavily depleted over the Christmas and New Year period, Coyle has insisted it is not "imperative" that he dips into the transfer fund.

"Probably in the next couple of weeks it will be close to as big a squad as I've had in my time here," said the Burnley boss, who welcomes back captain Steven Caldwell for tomorrow's visit of Scunthorpe United following a one-match ban, while Alan Mahon made his comeback from a hamstring injury as a second-half substitute at Coventry City last week.

"In an ideal world, yes, we would like to bring one or two in.

"But if we have a valuation of somebody at £750,000, we're not going to pay £1.5m for a player who we think is well above his valuation.

"We would love to bring one or two in. Is it imperative?

"No, I don't think so. We've got good players.

"The problem we have is that because we don't have a big squad, and that's highlighted with injuries and suspensions.

"Against Bristol City I think we had 12 fit players, so given that, it tells you that we do need to bring one or two in.

"But again, we are not going to pay over the odds, or go for the wrong type."

He added: "We're not going to panic into bringing anyone into the club, that's not our style.

"The players we have in mind have been targeted, probably, since day one when we came in.

"But we'll look at that, because sometimes people you don't think are available, all of a sudden become available.

"People who were out of reach then come within your grasp, and equally, ones you might have got, then don't for differing reasons.

"So there is a source of frustration within the window, but equally we all know the nature of it and that's why you have to stay focused and if you think something's a setback it makes you stronger to go and get someone else.

"I have to say though that the players who have been mentioned are not the only players that we have enquired about.

"Some have been made public by their respective clubs, perhaps looking to get the fee through the roof.

"But we will work to the best of our abilities to get in the players who can help our squad.

"We have a long-term plan and we want to make sure the players we bring in are going to enhance the team for a long period of time.

"A knee-jerk reaction would be wrong and I won't be drawn into that.

"If that takes, time, then so be it, but everything can change in a phone call."

But Coyle insisted he was striving for the best options available.

"I think we have shown that we are trying to get the right players to help the football club," he said.

"As a supporter, I wanted my club to go and sign the big, fashionable players.

"If we can do it, we're certainly trying our best to do that.

"But there are a number of factors that need to come together for us to be able to do that; firstly we need to bid the right amount of money that the club then deems acceptable, but even then it is not cut and dried because then you have to agree terms with the player or their representatives.

"But if all those factors come together, then we will be in the market to bring one or two in."