Burnley have appointed Vincent Kompany as their new manager following their relegation from the Premier League.
The former Manchester City captain, who left his role as Anderlecht boss to succeed Sean Dyche at Turf Moor, faces a tough job to lead the Clarets back to the top flight.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the things on Kompany’s to-do list.
Clarets need rebuilding
A new era.#UTCpic.twitter.com/mniJHsIGmv— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) June 14, 2022
The Belgian’s most pressing task is to begin a major overhaul of the Burnley squad. The club announced last week that captain Ben Mee, James Tarkowski and Aaron Lennon were among 14 players who would be leaving Turf Moor this summer and – with half a dozen more players out of contract – other key members could also depart after the Clarets failed to extend their six-year stay in the Premier League.
Halt player exodus
Among those out-of-contract players who Kompany must persuade to sign new deals are Jack Cork and Matej Vydra, while last summer’s £12.85million signing Max Cornet is expected to trigger his relegation release clause. Burnley forked out £12m for Wout Weghorst in January and the Holland striker has already expressed his desire to leave. Other players who Kompany must convince to stay include Nick Pope and Dwight McNeil.
Kompany contacts could be key
Kompany’s appointment is a major coup for club owner Alan Pace and his board. The former City defender, who delivered European football for Anderlecht last season and guided them to a domestic cup final, must use his big-name status and call on his extensive contacts throughout Europe to attract new talent to Turf Moor. That could include a raid on Anderlecht in a bid to reunite with some players who helped them to a third-placed finish.
Ascertain ‘war chest’
Burnley’s return to the Sky Bet Championship means they must now repay a “substantial” portion of a £65m loan taken out during ALK Capital’s leveraged takeover in late 2020 and Kompany must quickly establish how much money will be made available for his squad rebuild – if he has not done so already – given the expected departures of several more players from the Dyche era could change the club’s financial landscape and increase his spending power.
Appoint backroom staff
The Lancashire club made no reference to Kompany’s backroom staff in their statement announcing his appointment and he must move quickly to bring in trusted coaches in time for pre-season. It remains to be seen if he wants a fresh start in English football or whether anyone follows him from Anderlecht, such as assistants Willem Weijs, Floribert Ngalula and goalkeeping coach Jelle Ten Rouwelaar.
