Burnley have dodged £700k+ bullet after fresh Turf Moor twist | OneFootball

Burnley may have dodged a bullet after missing out on the appointment of Craig Bellamy

With the summer window well underway, things are heating up both in terms of the weather in the United Kingdom and the activity in the transfer market, as Burnley continue to prioritise one key area first.

Ahead of the 2026/27 Championship campaign, Burnley are still in need of some operation.

Following the confirmation of relegation over two months ago, Scott Parker, who guided the Clarets back to the top-flight on 100 points, conceding just 16 league goals along the way, left the club.

Assistant boss Mike Jackson took charge thereafter, and since then, Burnley have been actively on the hunt for a new permanent boss to replicate the feat of Parker, and before him, Vincent Kompany,

The likes of Steven Gerrard have been heavily linked with the role, as have both Derby County's John Eustace and Cardiff City's Brian Barry-Murphy, but for all intents and purposes, it appeared as though they had finally landed on their preferred candidate recently, before a shock twist scuppered the deal, as the Clarets may well have dodged a bullet.

Burnley may have dodged a bullet after a lucrative bid for Craig Bellamy fell through

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The main name in the Burnley managerial saga is undoubtedly Craig Bellamy.

The former winger, with just shy of 300 Premier League appearances across clubs such as Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Newcastle United, began his coaching journey back in Wales with Cardiff City, before joining former teammate Kompany at Anderlecht.

He'd follow the Belgian to Turf Moor in 2022, where he would spend two years as his assistant, before the pair parted ways after Kompany's dismissal following relegation, with Bellamy taking the top job with the Wales men's national team, and the former defender heading to German giants Bayern Munich.

Bellamy has taken charge of 20 games for Wales since his appointment, narrowly missing out on a place at this summer's World Cup in North America to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has been made the favourite for the role in Lancashire due to his prior experience with the club.

At first, Bellamy squashed any chances of a return to the club where he spent two years, but as the weeks rolled on, Burnley stepped up their interest, and as of Wednesday, they had agreed a compensation fee worth more than £700k for the 46-year-old with the Welsh FA.

With the Clarets also ready to quadruple his current salary to bring him back to Lancashire, it seemed certain that the 78-capped former Welsh international would take his first top job in club management, but a bombshell dropped when it was revealed that the deal had fallen through due to issues regarding backroom staff.

Now, Burnley are back to square one, and have since reportedly outlined former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Luton Town boss Rob Edwards and former Swansea City and Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper as their top candidates.

Given that both Edwards and Cooper both have ample experience of managing in the Championship in comparison to Bellamy, with one promotion to the Premier League each under their belt, the Clarets may well have dodged a lucrative bullet here.

Bellamy has only ever worked in club management as an assistant, and stepping into the top job with a club like Burnley, which will have expectations to go straight back up to the Premier League, could have massively misfired if gone poorly.

Not only would they have already paid a substantial fee to lure him away from the Wales job, but they would also have had to have paid off his substantial wages on what would have likely been a long-term deal.

Bringing in someone with experience as a head coach at club level is a necessity for Burnley, and whilst the Bellamy appointment could well have worked out, it posed more risks than rewards, and they may have dodged a bullet following the breakdown in discussions.

Burnley must get their next managerial appointment spot on amid Craig Bellamy bombshell

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It goes without saying that whoever Burnley appoints next must be the correct appointment.

Having put all of their eggs in one basket, so to speak, with Bellamy, they will be back to square one in their search for a replacement, and must consider carefully when choosing who to pursue next.

Both Parker and Kompany achieved a century of points on their way to promotion the last two times Burnley were in the Championship, as Parker's replacement will have a tall order to live up to.

An immediate return to the Premier League will be the aim, and whilst Burnley may well have dodged a bullet with Bellamy, heading back to square one is far from ideal, and they must ensure that their next appointment is the correct one by any means possible.