SEAN Dyche believes Burnley are stronger as a club for their deadline day dealings.

The Clarets sold striker Sam Vokes to Stoke City in a deal worth in the region of £7m and brought in 38-year-old Peter Crouch from the Potters to fill the void left by the Welshman’s departure.

Crouch, who could make his debut in today’s Premier League clash with Southampton at Turf Moor, has joined on a free transfer on a deal until the end of the season while Vokes departs seven years on from joining the Clarets in a £350,000 switch from Wolves.

And while the Molineux men will pocket 25 per cent of the profit on the original deal, Dyche believes Burnley have emerged in a healthier financial position and are well set to invest in the summer.

Asked if he felt the club was in a stronger position for the striker switch, the Clarets chief said: “In theory but it doesn’t guarantee the next signing.

“At some point the next window opens and you have got to go and activate again, which we will have to do, and it doesn’t guarantee that but you get an extra shot in the arm to put more into the next situation.

“So therefore, if you are in a rising market then you need rising funding. We are at a club that doesn’t get rising funding from people throwing money everywhere, therefore you have got to make rising funding.

“You get TV money and then you get what money you can raise.

“So it must be helpful in that sense because if the market is going north and you are bringing in more finance then that has got to be helpful.”

Burnley’s January transfer business was met with dismay by some Clarets supporters, but Dyche is taking a longer-term view.

“The challenge here is constantly looking out for this week while concentrating on next week,” he added.

“On the pitch concentrating on the here and now and we play on Saturday and that is the most important thing.

“But at the back of my planning has to be what goes on in three months, six months, nine months.

“It has to be because if not it will catch us out too quickly. Then you get to that moment where you are muddled by it and you get to the stage where you have to start doing things and that is not a good place to be.

“So pre-planning and forward planning, although a risk and reward strategy, has to be done here.

“It is as simple as that because I don’t think anyone is suddenly going to say here is an extra £25million.”