STEVE Cotterill has hit out at rumours that he is about to swoop for striker Billy Sharp.

The Burnley boss has been linked with the Scunthorpe hitman since the end of the season.

Sharp, valued at £300,000, scored 24 goals in League One last term, putting him at the top of several clubs' wanted lists.

But Burnley won't be one of them.

Cotterill said: "In relation to Billy Sharp, someone is being very active in promoting him.

"But if I had £300,000 to spend, I would have spent it by now."

That statement suggests that Cotterill hasn't got the funds available at the moment to make any significant moves in the market.

He will need to free up cash by selling his transfer-listed players - Micah Hyde, Danny Karbassiyoon, Gifton Noel-Williams and Duane Courtney - to generate the cash before he can go shopping in the transfer market.

So far, the club hasn't received any offers for those players, although Brighton and Millwall have expressed an interest in Noel-Williams.