BURNLEY HOPE to appoint Owen Coyle’s successor in time for their trip to Manchester United a week tomorrow. As lawyers yesterday finalised the small print of the compensation package which must be agreed between Burnley and Bolton before Coyle can begin work at the Reebok Stadium, Turf Moor officials stepped up the hunt for a new manager.
Ideally he will be bright, youthful, up-and-coming and not entirely dissimilar to his predecessor.
“As much as we are disappointed to lose Owen there are always young, hungry, winning managers out there who want to take on a challenge and make their names,” said Burnley’s chairman, Barry Kilby, yesterday.
“Our search is still in its infancy and we haven’t got a shortlist yet but there’s a possibility the new manager could be walking out at Old Trafford. There are one or two people clearly coming through. But, although we intend to do things quickly, we are just starting to look at the beauty parade.”
Paulo Sousa, the Swansea manager and former Portugal international, is much admired at Turf Moor and is understood to be keen to manage in the Premier League but Burnley would face a fight for his services.
“I won’t be letting Burnley or any club talk to our manager,” said Huw Jenkins, the Swansea chairman, yesterday.
After having Sousa’s predecessor, Roberto Martinez, poached by Wigan last summer, the Welsh club are extremely hostile to the idea of losing a second manager within a matter of months.
However, Sousa appeared to leave himself open to offers when he told the BBC he was flattered to be linked with Burnley: “I’ve said I want to go to the Premier League and by doing well and having recognition I can succeed.”
Coyle has recommended his friend John Hughes, his former co-manager at Falkirk, who is in charge at Hibs, to Kilby, and Mike Phelan, Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United is another candidate. Burnley would be extremely interested in the Leeds United manager, Simon Grayson, but he is understood to be fully committed to the rebuilding job at Elland Road.
Although the 53-year-old Peter Reid does not quite fit Burnley’s “young, emerging” profile, the Stoke City assistant manager is expected to make Kilby’s shortlist.
Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena is on the verge of from signing a deal with Serie A side Napoli after reportedly landing in Italy for a medical yesterday.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been heavily linked in Spain with weighing up a move for Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain.
Wenger is short of options in attack as Robin van Persie is out for most of the season with an ankle injury and the extent of Nicklas Bendtner’s groin problems will not be known until the Denmark striker undergoes a series of tests this week.
Portsmouth’s players have finally received December’s salary, the club confirmed yesterday. The Premier League club obtained funds yesterday morning and paid the cash straight into the players’ bank accounts.
Federico Macheda’s agent says Bologna want to take the young Manchester United striker back to his native Italy on a loan deal, although he admits it is unlikely to happen.
Guardian Service
