Burnley boss Eddie Howe is determined not to lose any more of his current crop of Clarets after sanctioning the sale of Chris Iwelumo to Watford earlier this week, following Graham Alexander’s departure earlier this summer and Clarke Carlisle’s move to Preston North End on a season-long loan.

QPR are rumoured to be tracking Chris Eagles, who is in the final year of his contract, while reports that Portsmouth had made another bid for fit-again striker Martin Paterson were last night rubbished by the Clarets.

“There’s always people circling, but there is no new news regarding any of our players,” Howe confirmed.

“I’ve said all along I want to keep the squad together, keep our best players, and hopefully we can do that and bring in some new ones the other way.”