According to reports, Burnley's open position is being pursued by Ruud van Nistelrooy, a legend of Manchester United. After the Belgian's transfer to Bayern Munich, Van Nistelrooy, 47, has become the front-runner to succeed Vincent Kompany. After playing for United for five years, Van Nistelrooy is reportedly close to signing a contract to return to English football, according to the Dutch publication De Telegraaf. Since Kompany's unexpected resignation, Craig Bellamy has been Burnley's interim manager.
This month, several news sites exclusively disclosed that Frank Lampard was a candidate to become Turf Moor's manager. Chiefs at Clarets were also considering Alan Pardew. Van Nistelrooy, though, seems to be headed for his first management stint since departing PSV Eindhoven twelve months ago. During his twelve months there, the Premier League and FA Cup champion was praised for his style of play, producing talents like Chelsea's Noni Madueke and Liverpool's Cody Gakpo. Burnley is reportedly eager to improve upon Kompany's nuanced style of play. And the ideal candidate seems to be Van Nistelrooy, a 70-time Holland international who also has two championships at Real Madrid.