Winning the Championship in style last season, Vincent Kompany's Burnley side entered the Premier League in the hope of kicking on even further. As we approach the halfway mark, however, the Clarets sit 19th and five points adrift of safety, having endured a disastrous start to the season. A recent 5-0 thumping of Sheffield United gave them a much-needed boost, before a solid draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, but Komany's side still have a lot of work to do.

Reinforcements could be the key to their improvement, whether that be sticking to their summer transfer tactic of welcoming young players or, instead, perhaps those more experienced this time around. That said, reports suggest that the Clarets are eyeing one particular in-demand player.

Burnley transfer news

Those at Turf Moor opted for players with the potential to turn into Premier League regulars such as James Trafford and Zeki Amdouni rather than those more established in England's top flight and have since faced the short-term consequences of relegation trouble.

Burnley now lining up cut-price move for "outstanding" player in January

The Clarets aren’t the only side keen.

BySean Markus Clifford

Burnley have won just twice all season, with one of those victories coming recently, highlighting just how slowly they started the current campaign. In that run, Kompany may have learned a lot about his players, which could see him target one specific reinforcement.

According to The Daily Mail, Burnley are eyeing a move for KAA Gent left-back Archie Brown, who has also attracted the interest of Leeds United, Everton and clubs in both the Bundesliga and Serie A in what could be a tough battle for his signature. If Burnley want to sign the former Derby County left-back, however, they may have to wait until the summer, with Gent reportedly set to keep hold of their player until the end of the season at the very least.

Kompany could finally replace Maatsen with Archie Brown

Since the end of Ian Maatsen's loan spell at the club, Burnley have struggled to replicate the left-back's work within their back four, with Charlie Taylor failing to replace the current Chelsea man. The arrival of Brown would finally solve that problem for Kompany, however. Here's how Brown's stats compare to Taylor and Maatsen:

Player

Progressive Carries Per 90

Progressive Passes Per 90

Take-ons Completed Per 90

Blocks Per 90

Archie Brown

4.85

3.11

2.72

1.36

Charlie Taylor

1

3.77

0.38

1.23

Ian Maatsen (for Burnley)

3.51

6.14

0.68

1.01

Looking at the numbers, the Gent man wouldn't just finally fill the void left by Maatsen, but he'd potentially do an even better job. Brown's versatility would also hand Kompany a major boost, given that he can play left-back, centre-back and left-midfield. So, when the January transfer window swings open, before the summer hands clubs another attempt, the left-footed Brown certainly looks like one to keep an eye on.

Burnley may need improvements and Brown would be exactly that. At 22 years of age, the Englishman also fits in with the club's apparent transfer tactic of signing stars for the future. Every way you look at it, Burnley could pursue the fullback's signature sooner rather than later, making this one to watch.