NOTTINGHAM Forest remain determined to hang on to Henri Lansbury after insisting that the midfielder is no closer to joining Burnley.

The Clarets are thought to have maintained their interest in the 23-year-old despite recently seeing a bid rejected.

Burnley are able to bide their time a little in their chase, with Lansbury currently on the sidelines with a knee injury, but Forest manager Stuart Pearce has made it clear that he wants to keep the former Arsenal youngster.

Assistant boss Steve Wigley has now reiterated Pearce’s stance.

“Henri is still a Forest player and will be this Saturday,” Wigley said.

“Hopefully he will be the Saturday after. I hope he doesn’t go. Burnley have been keen on one or two players but at the end of the day they haven’t landed them yet.

“Henri starts joining in everything (in training) now and it will probably be about 10 days from there before he’s available to play.”

Lansbury still has two years left on his contract at the City Ground and Forest want the midfielder to sign an extended deal with the club, a request that has so far met with resistance.

Burnley have also suffered frustration in their attempts to land West Brom centre back Craig Dawson after seeing three bids rejected – the most recent said to be in the region of £2m.

Dawson is keen on a move to Turf Moor but West Brom do not want to sell the 24-year-old.

The former England under 21 international has grown unhappy at a lack of first-team opportunities at the Hawthorns but could yet start the Baggies’ Premier League opener at home to Sunderland on Saturday, with fellow centre backs Joleon Lescott and Gareth McAuley both injury doubts.

Meanwhile, Tamworth’s Kaiyne Woolery, a 19-year-old striker who recently trained with Burnley, is joining Bolton Wanderers for £10,000.