Burnley are in advanced talks to appoint Genk head coach Nicky Hayen as their new manager, with the Belgian emerging as the club's leading candidate to fill a vacancy left since April. The role has been empty since Scott Parker departed by mutual consent, and securing a permanent boss is a priority for the Clarets as they prepare for life back in the Championship following relegation. Sources have told BBC Sport that discussions with Genk are ongoing, though the deal has not yet been finalised.

Hayen, 45, previously managed Welsh side Haverfordwest County between 2021 and 2022 before a spell at Club Brugge that ended with his sacking in December 2025; he joined Genk later that month and led them to a seventh-placed finish, narrowly missing out on European football. Burnley had earlier tried to appoint Wales boss Craig Bellamy, only for talks to collapse over the backroom staff, while former Wolves manager Rob Edwards is understood to have turned down an approach. The club, who finished 19th in the Premier League last season, are set to travel to the United States for pre-season friendlies against FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew and Real Salt Lake.