BURNLEY are facing a fight from Nottingham Forest in their efforts to sign midfielder Henri Lansbury.

The Clarets last week had two bids turned down, with Forest boss Dougie Freedman labelling the first “so low that it is not worth a comment”.

Burnley made an improved offer later on Friday that was also rebuffed.

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And they have since met with increased resistance from the City Ground, with Freedman speaking out after their friendly against Swansea on Saturday.

“We do not need the money, we do not need to sell,” he said.

“Burnley talk a good game, they try to throw their weight around. But it does not influence us at all. Henri is my captain, he has done brilliantly for us (against Swansea) and he is a fantastic guy to work with. He is good quality.

“As far as I am concerned, the chairman has a few quid and he is a good man. He has been fantastic. He has told me, very openly, that I pick the players, pick the team and I decide who stays and who goes. That is what I have done this summer.”

Forest are operating under a transfer embargo for a breach of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

But offloading Jamie Mackie to QPR on a free transfer has left helped them to trim enough money from their wage bill to ensure they will be under FFP spending limits next season and on course to have their embargo lifted in 12 months’ time.

Freedman says that means they can afford to keep the rest of their squad intact, and is confident of doing so for when their season starts at Brighton on Friday, August 7.

“Because we are under an embargo, people think that we need to sell our players,” he said.

“People think that we have to do that. But we do not need the money. The chairman has a few quid in the bank.

“We have, unfortunately, before my time, gone over the rules when it comes to what we have spent, as have a few other clubs.

“We are suffering because of that. But it does not mean that we have to sell players. I am a believer that, if a player does not want to be here, then they won’t be.”

Dyche, however, feels he is closing in on new additions, with Lansbury among his targets.

“He’s in a list of a number of players that we’ve been looking at,” said the Burnley boss.

“There are things that are getting closer.

“They’re not there yet, it’s a tough market - we found that before, and now we’re in a different market it’s still tough to make sure we can get things done, but we are very active.”

Asked if he was hopeful of adding anyone ahead of tomorrow’s friendly at Fleetwood Town, Dyche said: “There’s no point in being hopeful, it’s just facts, getting things done. Hope is not for the transfer market, it’s just business.”