The system allows a player to come to a club for a maximum of 93 days and that would mean any player signing now would not be able to remain with the club until the end of December.
Howe, who made a couple of emergency loans during the second half of last season with the captures of Nathan Delfouneso and Shane Duffy, admitted yesterday that it was still 'work in progress' but it is believed that his main target very much remains Stoke City defender Ryan Shotton.
Any hopes of landing Shotton seemed dead in the water last week when he was named in Stoke's 25 man squads for both the Premier League and for Europe, but his chances of playing much football remain slim with manager Tony Pulis saying: "Hopefully he’ll get some games in the Carling Cup, then we’ll see how much football time he gets when we review him at Christmas.”
Things have moved on from that and talks have continued between the two clubs and Shotton's representatives with the player keen to make the move to get more football than the odd Carling Cup appearance, with the potential for Stoke to go out in the next round against Spurs.
The need to use the loan window has come about because of the sheer number of players who have left Burnley since the end of last season and even Howe admitted that hadn't been ideal.
"It's been a huge turnover, probably too many," he admitted. "We didn't want to drastically change it like we have, but certain things have happened which have forced our hand.
"There was always going to be a slight period of transition and change because felt we needed to, although it was probably slightly bigger overall than we anticipated." He also said that he'd like a couple of older players to add some experience.
It's looking most unlikely now that there will be any loan signings ahead of the Middlesbrough game but the suggestions are that there could be additions next week and with Ryan Shotton potentially leading the way.