Burnley: Ruud van Nistelrooy update emerges amid Man United, Erik ten Hag offer | OneFootball

Ruud van Nistelrooy is reportedly set to return to Manchester United to join Erik ten Hag's coaching staff.

Burnley managerial target Ruud van Nistelrooy is closing in on a return to Manchester United to join Erik ten Hag's coaching staff.

That is according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, who claims that the Lancashire outfit will have to look elsewhere in their hunt for a new boss.

The Clarets are preparing for life back in the Championship after their relegation from the Premier League, and they are on the hunt for a new manager following Vincent Kompany's departure to Bayern Munich.

Burnley owner Alan Pace is believed to be keen to appoint a big name, and van Nistelrooy has been linked with the vacancy at Turf Moor in recent weeks.

Van Nistelrooy has been out of work since leaving Dutch side PSV last May after just one season in charge, but while he was reportedly a "strong candidate" for the Clarets job, Romano claims his return to Old Trafford is "advancing fast".

The 47-year-old spent five successful years with the Red Devils as a player between 2001 and 2006, and rather than returning to management with Burnley, he looks set to become part of Ten Hag's backroom team.

Burnley set to miss out on Ruud van Nistelrooy

Van Nistelrooy had spells as a coach with the Netherlands national team and the PSV academy before making the step up to senior management in the summer of 2022.

The Dutchman did an excellent job at PSV, winning the Johan Cruyff Shield and the KNVB Cup in the 2022-23 season, but he surprisingly departed just before the end of the campaign due to a lack of support from the club's board.

As well as being linked with Burnley, Van Nistelrooy was said to be on Leicester City's radar following Enzo Maresca's move to Chelsea, but the Foxes appointed former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper as their new manager last week.

Van Nistelrooy is now set to return to United as Ten Hag looks to reshape his coaching staff following a disappointing season that saw the Red Devils finish eighth in the Premier League.

Ten Hag has been allowed to remain in charge at Old Trafford following an end of season review by new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and he is now being backed with new additions to his backroom team.

Van Nistelrooy's move to United is a blow for Burnley, and they will now need to look elsewhere in their manager search.

Scott Parker, Frank Lampard and Liam Rosenior are said to be among the leading contenders for the Clarets job, and the trio have all held talks with the club.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Pace made a surprise visit to Mallorca to speak to acting head coach Craig Bellamy over the permanent role, but he is also believed to be in the frame for the Wales job following the departure of Rob Page.

A number of other names have been linked with Burnley in recent weeks, including QPR manager Marti Cifuentes, West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan, Alan Pardew, Steve Bruce and Thierry Henry, and a decision is expected to be made this week.

Van Nistelrooy would have been an exciting appointment for Burnley, so the news of his imminent return to United will be disappointing for the Clarets.

However, there are still a number of strong candidates in the frame, including the likes of Parker, Lampard and Rosenior, while caretaker manager Bellamy could have a good chance of landing the permanent job.

With the transfer window open for business and pre-season set to get underway, Burnley will risk falling behind their promotion rivals if they do not make an appointment soon.

Pace is right to take his time to find the right man for the job, but the managerial situation now needs to be resolved to end the uncertainty at the club.