Burnley have signed Norwegian midfielder Fredrik Ulvestad on a three-year deal. The 22-year-old was a free agent after opting not to renew terms at hometown club Aalesunds FK and has put pen to paper following a spell training with the Clarets.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche will hope Ulvestad, who has made one appearance for the Norway national team, can adjust quickly to life in England and assist his side in their fight against relegation.
Dyche had hoped to strengthen his midfield during the January transfer window but failed in his attempts to bring new faces to Turf Moor.
He was then dealt a huge blow when Dean Marney suffered a cruciate ligament injury and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Dyche will hope Ulvestad can have a similar impact to Chris Baird, who joined as a free agent in March last year and helped Burnley clinch promotion to the Premier League.
The Clarets boss said: "Fredrik is someone who came into the club to spend some time with us earlier this year.
"We liked what we saw and he has gained some good experience playing in the league in Norway. It's a new challenge for him now, not only on the pitch but off it, too, in terms of culture.
"He has gained a full international cap and is learning and gaining experience all the time. We will be looking for him to continue his development and improve further as a midfielder."
Dyche, though, insisted not too much can be expected of Ulvestad too soon, saying: "There will be an adjustment period, for sure, because of the change in the levels of football.
"We know how tough the Premier League is, so he will be given time to adjust to that accordingly and continue his development."
Ulvestad made 106 appearances in the Norwegian league for Aalesunds, scoring 14 goals, and also won caps at under-21 and under-23 level before making his full international debut in a goalless draw against the United Arab Emirates last August.
He joins Burnley with the Clarets sitting 19th in the table ahead of the final 10 games of the season, three points from safety.
Dyche's side have not won a match since beating Queens Park Rangers two months ago and are in the middle of a formidable run of fixtures, with their next four games all coming against Champions League contenders, starting with Manchester City on Saturday.