Burnley hit with Craig Bellamy bombshell as two new names emerge | OneFootball

Burnley's move for Craig Bellamy has reportedly fallen through as the Clarets turn their attentions to Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards

Burnley's hopes of appointing a new head coach imminently have now seemingly fallen through, as the Clarets prepare to turn their attentions elsewhere for alternatives.

With the summer transfer window now underway, clubs across the EFL are beginning to click into gear and begin business ahead of the next campaign.

By now, most teams have a clear idea of who will be leading them into next season in the dugout and what their transfer strategy looks like. But not Burnley.

As we approach July, the Clarets are yet to appoint a new permanent head coach following the dismissal of Scott Parker over two months ago.

It seemed as though that was about to change when a formal offer was made for Wales' men's national team boss Craig Bellamy, with WalesOnline reporting that a compensation package for the 46-year-old had been agreed on Wednesday.

However, there appears to have been a spanner in the works somewhere down the line, as now, Burnley must prepare to go back to square one in their hunt.

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With Bellamy having been largely reported to have been on the brink of returning to Burnley two years after leaving the club as their assistant manager, Sky Sports News now understands that a proposed deal for the Welshman has collapsed, with the Clarets now turning their attentions to Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards as alternatives.

This will come as a huge shock to those around Turf Moor, who had assumed up until very recently that they had found their new permanent head coach.

Bellamy had previously spent two years with the club between 2022 and 2024, working as an assistant coach under current Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany, before parting ways with the Belgian to take charge of his national team shortly after in what has been his one and only head coach role thus far in his career.

The 46-year-old was viewed as the ideal candidate to replace Parker at the helm, given his prior knowledge of the club and his subsequent record with Wales.

Although he failed to guide his home country to the World Cup, losing out to Bosnia and Herzegovina at the penultimate hurdle, Bellamy was highly-regarded for the work he had done with the national team, as Burnley were prepared to quadruple his current salary to bring him back to Lancashire.

A compensation fee of around £700k was also seemingly agreed, but now that deal looks to have fallen through, as Bellamy will retain his role with Wales, whilst sending the Clarets back to square one.

The reason why the deal fell through is not yet known, but for now, Burnley turn their attentions to Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards as they seek alternatives.

Burnley turn their attentions to Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards after deal for Craig Bellamy collapses

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With Burnley back to the beginning in their pursuit of another permanent head coach, both Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards have been targeted for the role.

Cooper first landed in the Championship with Swansea City in 2019, taking the Welsh outfit to back-to-back play-off finishes, losing in the semi-final and the final, before taking charge of Nottingham Forest in 2021 and subsequently winning the final and guiding them back to the top flight.

Spells with Leicester City and Brondby have followed, where he has failed to achieve similar success, and is currently contracted to no club after his dismissal from the Danish side a month ago.

Edwards, meanwhile, was largely expected to guide Wolverhampton Wanderers into the next campaign before he was shockingly dismissed and swiftly replaced by Portuguese boss Cesar Peixoto.

The former Luton Town and Middlesbrough boss may be keen to return to management and get one over his former side, as Burnley re-begin their hunt after Bellamy's bombshell.

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It's fair to suggest that this news will come as a shock at this early hour for the majority of Burnley fans, who had probably expected their club to announce Bellamy as their new head coach today.

Now, they must come to terms with the fact that the 46-year-old will not be returning to Turf Moor next season, and have since reacted to this news via X, as well as their supposed pursuit of Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards.

This Burnley fan is clearly disappointed with the news of the Bellamy deal falling through, and has turned their frustration towards the club's ownership, who are set to be questioned for their role in this saga.

With Cooper and Edwards emerging as the early alternatives for Bellamy, this Clarets fan has listed their preferred targets. Who would be your preferred candidate?

Many Burnley fans had set their hopes on Bellamy's appointment, including this supporter, who has voiced their disappointment at the deal collapsing.

Not every Burnley fan thought Bellamy would have been a good appointment, as is evident with this supporter, who seems pleased that the deal has fallen through, and they can now look for alternatives.