Rob Edwards has turned down Burnley for the second time in four months, rejecting the chance to replace Nicky Hayen after talks on Monday — and West Ham United have now reportedly made a preliminary move for the former Wolves boss.
Burnley interviewed Edwards on Monday as they searched for a successor to Hayen, but the 43-year-old will not be taking the job. talkSPORT understands Edwards is not interested in the vacancy, having already resisted an approach from the Clarets in the summer after leaving Wolves. The Telegraph has also reported that he rejected the approach and wants more time to consider his next move.
Back to square one at Turf Moor
The rejection is a fresh setback for a club in trouble. Burnley sacked Nicky Hayen on Saturday night after a 4-1 defeat at Lincoln City left them 22nd in the Championship, three points from safety, with just one win from Hayen's 12 league matches in charge. A side relegated from the Premier League last season and expected to challenge for an immediate return are instead fighting to avoid a second successive relegation.
Edwards was an obvious first call. He guided Luton Town to the Premier League through the play-offs in 2023, left Middlesbrough sitting second in the Championship when he joined Wolves in November 2025, and knows exactly what a promotion campaign in this division demands. Wolves sacked him in June after seven months in charge, following their relegation from the top flight, and he has been out of work since.
Burnley's other early option has also cooled. Former West Bromwich Albion and Valencia manager Carlos Corberan was considered, but talkSPORT reports he is holding out for a top-flight job. The Clarets have appointed Diego Lopez as chief football officer to lead the search, and they now have to widen it — with Portsmouth visiting Turf Moor on Saturday, 31 October.
West Ham put out feelers as Nuno feels the heat
While Burnley were being turned down, another Championship club was reportedly looking in Edwards' direction. Football Insider reported on Tuesday that West Ham United have put out feelers to Edwards, viewing him as a potential replacement for Nuno Espirito Santo. The outlet said it is not known whether that interest played any part in his decision to reject Burnley.
Nuno remains in charge at the London Stadium, but pressure is growing. West Ham have fallen to third in the Championship after inconsistent results, most recently a 3-2 home defeat by promotion rivals Southampton on Saturday, 24 October. Supporters have grown frustrated, and Football Insider reports the hierarchy consider an instant return to the Premier League the minimum requirement this season after last term's relegation.
So what? Two promotion projects, one in-demand manager
This is what the Championship does in October: it turns reputations quickly, in both directions. Hayen arrived from Club Brugge with a Belgian title on his CV and lasted 12 league games. Edwards, sacked by Wolves only in June, is now apparently able to turn down one relegated club while another puts out feelers — because proven Championship promotion experience is the scarcest commodity in the division.
For Burnley, every day without a manager matters. They are three points from safety, winless at home in the league this season, and the Portsmouth game is the kind they simply cannot afford to drift into under-prepared. For West Ham, even a preliminary move sends a message to Nuno: third place and a squad built for promotion will not protect him if results wobble again. Edwards, meanwhile, can afford to wait — and managers who can afford to wait usually get the better job.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Edwards has read this division correctly. Burnley, right now, is a relegation firefight with a promotion-sized expectation attached — the worst combination in management — while West Ham, if that job does open up, is a bigger club, a better squad and a promotion race he would join from third, not 22nd. Burnley did not just lose their first choice on Monday; they learned where they now stand in the Championship pecking order, and that lesson may hurt more than the Lincoln result. Should Edwards hold out for West Ham, or is he risking waiting too long for a job that may never open up?
