SEAN Dyche believes Alexis Sanchez's imminent move to Manchester United for an eye-watering monthly salary reported to be north of £350,000 will have an impact on clubs like Burnley.

Sanchez could make his debut for United against the Clarets on Saturday if his move to Old Trafford from Arsenal is completed in time.

The 29-year-old Chilean is set to sign a four-and-a-half year deal with United that is likely to make him the highest paid player in the Premier League, but Dyche believes such deals will inevitably have a knock-on effect for his own club.

"The problem is the clubs are moving forward and we're at the back of it, and it's hard to keep up. But that's the ongoing challenge of being at Burnley Football Club and I enjoy that challenge," he said.

"I have no clue on the actual detail of the finance. It sounds that it's considerable. With the talent pool in the top end we have to look in a different market.

"I imagine a club of that size are looking not just at the contract but all kinds of marketing ideas and support for what they do on the pitch, because they're a worldwide brand.

"It doesn't just highlight our challenge, it highlights the challenge. I don't think any of us are surprised by the gap in the Premier League, I think it's been there a long time and it's getting harder year on year since the business model for football has changed.

"There is a tougher challenge definitely, because every time a superpower spends enormous money on a player that drip-feeds down the market so every player you phone about has gone miraculously up in value – because they'll look and say it doesn't mean he's as good but he must be somewhere nearer on a sliding scale."

Although wages are continuing to spiral in the Premier League Dyche doesn't expect Burnley to be hitting their own first six-figure salary anytime soon.

"Our chairman certainly backs myself and the team the best we can but I think we're quite a long way off that at the moment," he said.

"But I think the numbers have jumped in the last couple of years so who knows what the future will bring. You've got to remember a club like ours is about running it in a fashion that will allow the club to continually move forward."