GOOD things come to those who wait, and it is fair to say Burnley could not have left it much longer in putting the final touches to their Premier League squad.

An extension was granted beyond the official 11pm deadline thanks to the emergence of the ‘deal sheet’, explaining why Jim White appeared late in the day at Sky Sports News HQ to wait for deals to squeeze dramatically over the line, while producers must surely have had a pow-wow about the value of having heckled reporters outside the grounds.

But that’s another story.

Burnley had signalled their intention to the Premier League to sign Michael Keane on loan from Manchester United after holding talks as “the clock ticked down” – that well-worn transfer deadline day phrase. Sleep was lost while an extra two hours were gained to submit all the paperwork.

But Burnley have not been caught napping.

Some supporters have questioned why the club – why any club – waits until transfer deadline day itself to complete their business, when they have had three months beforehand to get organised.

But like a game of blackjack you sometimes have to wait for other parties to show their hand before you decide whether to stick or twist.

Take the deal for George Boyd, for example. It was not until the eve of the Manchester United game that Burnley were made aware of the attacking midfielder’s availability.

It was only then that Steve Bruce had decided that it was unlikely the Scotland international would be part of his regular first team plans for the season and offered up the opportunity for him to move on rather than loiter in the lower echelons of his 25-man squad.

From there, Burnley acted quickly, and tied Boyd to a three-year deal on Monday.

The wait could prove wise in other ways too.

Three games into the Premier League season would arguably have given Dyche and his staff a better idea of what was needed than before a ball was kicked.

Monday’s business was undoubtedly the most stressful, but it could prove to be the most significant.