Burnley have endured a nightmare beginning to the 2026/27 Championship campaign following relegation from the Premier League, as the January transfer window looks increasingly important for the Clarets to get right in each passing week.

Burnley were relegated with a whimper from the Premier League last season, but heading back into the Championship, Clarets fans would have naturally been optimistic about their chances, having been automatically promoted the three previous times they found themselves in the division.

However, finding a replacement for Scott Parker proved to be difficult, and in truth, drawn out for way too long, as Belgian head coach Nicky Hayen was handed a poison chalice upon his arrival at Turf Moor.

Hayen won just one of his 12 league games in charge in Lancashire, as well as being knocked out of the League Cup at the hands of League One Bradford City, as incoming Swiss boss Fabio Celestini will be hoping to be given until January to make some much-needed changes to Burnley ranks.

Fabio Celestini will be targeting the January transfer window already following Burnley appointment

Following his swift appointment, Celestini will have had time to work with his squad in training and identify key areas of improvement, which, in the Clarets’ case right now, is all over the pitch.

However, some positions are more problematic than others, as the options between the sticks right now at Turf Moor aren’t wholly convincing.

Max Weiss started the campaign between the sticks, but after a few high-profile errors, the German was dropped in favour of French goalkeeper Gregoire Coudert, who joined from Brest in the summer.

Since replacing Weiss between the sticks, Coudert has not covered himself in much glory either, shipping four away to Lincoln City and being at fault for Queen’s Park Rangers’ equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Loftus Road, as a highly recognisable name ought to be a priority this January to fix this evident issue.

Burnley must target former fan favourite Nick Pope to fix key area

If the tide doesn’t turn at Burnley sooner rather than later, the Clarets are at risk of following in the footsteps of the likes of Sunderland, Luton Town, and Leicester City to suffer double relegations from the Premier League to League One in consecutive years.

A solid pair of hands between the sticks can be a game-changer, as Celestini must look to bring out-of-favour Newcastle United shot-stopper Nick Pope back to the club in January.

Pope, 34, worked his way up the Football League with the likes of Bury Town, Harrow Borough, Welling United, Charlton Athletic, Cambridge United, Aldershot Town, York City, and Bury before earning a move to Burnley in the summer of 2016, initially acting as deputy to Tom Heaton under Sean Dyche.

155 appearances across all competitions later, Pope had announced himself as one of the finest shot-stoppers in the country, earning ten caps for England during Jordan Pickford’s dominant era, and eventually joining Newcastle United in the summer of 2022 for around £10 million following Burnley’s relegation.

Why Burnley must strike emotional Newcastle United agreement to sanction Nick Pope return

At 34, Pope found himself battling with Southampton outcast Aaron Ramsdale for the number one spot at St James’ Park last season under Eddie Howe, and now is firmly behind Lukáš Horníček in the pecking order.

With Ewen Jaouen and Mark Gillespie also vying for minutes under Mathias Jaissle, Pope’s Newcastle career appears to be coming to a quiet end, as the former England international ought to push for a return to Turf Moor this winter.

Despite his age, few can deny his outstanding shot-stopping ability, and right now, you’d surely do well to find a Burnley supporter who doesn’t believe Pope would walk straight into their side right now in the Championship.

Burnley need a hero, and someone to increase the mood around the place, and given Pope’s situation at Newcastle, he could be the perfect fit.

The only obvious stumbling block is likely his wages, which may be too steep for the Clarets to match, though they would be remiss not to try, as Celestini has one obvious goal heading into January.

Do you think Burnley should look to re-sign Nick Pope from Newcastle in January, or should they be looking elsewhere? Share your thoughts below!

Burnley must utilise the January window to their advantage

Burnley are in desperate need of an uptick in form sooner rather than later; otherwise, they risk being cut adrift from the rest of the pack.

The January window will provide Celestini with the chance to make some much-needed changes to his squad, and it would be a surprise if a new goalkeeper wasn’t high on his list.

The upcoming window could be Burnley’s last roll of the dice to secure survival, as the Clarets cannot afford to let it pass them by.