Leeds United's Championship rivals eye 'big name' manager as Georginio Rutter 'idol' an option

Leeds United could welcome one of football’s best-known names to Elland Road next season with reports Thierry Henry is among the candidates to take over at Burnley.

The Clarets were relegated from the Premier League last season after finishing 19th in what was a miserable campaign at Turf Moor. The Lancashire club then suffered a crushing blow when manager Vincent Kompany made the surprise move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, leaving Burnley without a head coach going into the summer transfer window.

Discussions over who should replace Kompany have been ongoing and the club have already held meetings with Scott Parker, Frank Lampard and Liam Rosenior, who are all currently out of work and thought to be keen on the job. But journalist Alan Nixon reports that Henry has also been discussed as a potential option internally.

Burnley owner Alan Pace is thought to be keen on hiring another ‘big name’ manager, having found success in appointing former Manchester City and Belgium star Kompany in 2022 before going on to dominate the Championship in his first year in charge. Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has also been touted as an alternative in the same category while Kompany’s assistant, Crag Bellamy, is also being considered.

Henry is currently manager of the French under-21 team and will take charge for this summer’s Olympics in Paris. The former Arsenal and Barcelona forward is well-known to a certain Leeds star, having coached Georginio Rutter during the November international break - a collaboration manager Daniel Farke hoped would benefit Leeds.

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“To be the finished product at his age would be a miracle, so he can’t be perfect in each and every area,” Farke said of Rutter after the call-up. “But he has to be a bit more clinical. To have Thierry Henry as an idol and role model is always good because he’s one of the most exciting players this planet has seen. That’s a great honour for Georgi and a great chance for him. I hope he grabs it and if he comes back with a better end product then even better.”

As things stand, it seems unlikely Henry will take over at Burnley but if club chief Pace is keen on a big name arrival, the 46-year-old would provide exactly that, having won the Champions League, World Cup and multiple domestic titles. The Clarets are also facing competition for the signature of all three main candidates, with several Championship clubs eyeing a new manager.

Parker has been touted as a possible replacement for Chris Wilder at Sheffield United, if a takeover is completed and new owners decide to make a change. Lampard, meanwhile, has been linked to take over at Sunderland, who have been without a permanent head coach since sacking Michael Beale in February.

Rosenior emerged as a leading candidate to take over at the Stadium of Light but became the latest to turn down the offer, with frustration growing among Sunderland supporters over the time taken. Leeds know only too well how a summer of uncertainty can bleed into the football, having stuttered in the early weeks of last season from the aftermath of a takeover, new manager and the forced exit of several players on loan.