Another failed Burnley managerial pursuit revealed | OneFootball

Another failed managerial approach from Burnley has been revealed following the collapse of Craig Bellamy's proposed return to Turf Moor

Burnley's protracted search for Scott Parker's success has been dragged out further following Craig Bellamy's eleventh-hour decision to retain his current duties in charge of the Welsh national team as opposed to sealing a Turf Moor return, and yet another failed managerial pursuit from the Clarets has now emerged in a fresh update.

The summer has commenced in frustrating fashion for Burnley, who now represent the only Championship club without a manager in place ahead of the 2026/27 campaign after relieving Parker of his duties with four matches to spare at the back-end of the previous season.

Nearly two months on, however, the East Lancashire outfit are yet to replace the former Fulham and AFC Bournemouth boss, whereas fellow relegated pair West Ham United and Wolves have been able to amply undertake preparations for life back in the Championship under Portuguese bosses in Nuno Espirito Santo and Cesar Peixoto respectively.

A number of potential candidates have been linked to the vacant Turf Moor hot-seat, including Derby County boss John Eustace alongside Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy and Steven Gerrard.

Interest on those fronts, though, has not materialised further, and the aforementioned Bellamy then emerged as the leading contender for the role and even came on the verge of returning to the club two years on from his exit - having previously worked as assistant to Vincent Kompany - before the move suddenly fell through at the last minute owing to complications surrounding the make-up of the Welshman's proposed coaching staff.

In a shock twist, Bellamy is now set to resume his duties in charge of the Red Dragons ahead of Wales' co-hosted EURO 2028 campaign, leaving Burnley to continue plugging away in their drawn-out hunt for a new permanent manager.

But while it remains somewhat unclear exactly what direction the Clarets will head in next, another unsuccessful play to appoint Parker's replacement has been revealed.

Burnley's failed Tommy Elphick pursuit revealed amid Liverpool stance

The latest update in Burnley's managerial saga comes courtesy of talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, who reported a separate approach made by the Clarets via his X account on Friday afternoon.

According to Crook's update, Burnley made a move to acquire the servies of Liverpool-bound Tommy Elphick.

It's unclear when this play was lodged, with Elphick's decision to join Andoni Iraola's coaching staff at Liverpool following the Spaniard's appointment to replace Arne Slot having previously been reported a number of weeks ago.

The former Bournemouth defender, who spent four years on the coaching staff at the Vitality Stadium after hanging up his boots in the summer of 2021, had also been strongly linked with the vacancy of Bristol City, but reportedly rejected the opportunity to take charge of the Robins.

Nonetheless, Crook has reported that the possibility of Elphick's appointment at Burnley is off the table owing to just how far down the line the deal is for the sought-after 38-year-old to join Iraola in heading to Anfield this summer, which appears to simply be pending official confirmation at this late stage.

As Crook's update alluded to, Elphick has fielded considerable interest from the Championship in recent times, and while Bristol dusted themselves down following his rejection to seal an eye-catching deal for Lincoln City's third-tier title-winning boss Michael Skubala, the Clarets will have to follow suit in operating in a similarly-proactive manner as they look to finally close their managerial saga and prepare for a promotion push back to the Premier League.

Burnley must end manager search ASAP

This saga has played out for far too long now, and many Clarets supporters would've surely expected a swiftly-sourced successor to Parker in the wake of the club's surprise decision to part company with the three-time Championship promotion winner.

That's anything but the case some two months on from his exit, though, which poses wider questions towards Burnley's strategy and succession planning.

It's hardly a good look considering the existing scrutiny on the club's key decision-makers following two dismally-unsuccessful efforts of surviving at top-flight level, and it's also their second-tier credentials which could be threatened by the protracted nature of their managerial pursuit.

Burnley are now operating at something of a disadvantage, and have been able to lay the groundwork for a promotion battle at the start of this summer. A potential revamp of the squad may just be in order, especially under a new manager with different ideas and designs, but the Clarets will now be playing catch-up whenever that actually happens.