Wales are adamant “nothing is imminent” over the future of Craig Bellamy even though Burnley have made contact in their bid to entice him away as their new manager.
The newly-relegated Clarets are keen to land Bellamy and ask him to lead their charge back towards the Premier League next season. However, they have yet to negotiate a compensation agreement with Bellamy’s FA of Wales bosses. Until a formal financial package is put forward, Welsh bosses maintain Bellamy is their manager and planning carries on as normal for the upcoming Nations League campaign and Euro 2028 qualifiers.
Bellamy still has two years to run on his Wales deal and recently committed his future to his country, stressing he wanted to take the Dragons into battle on home soil when the Euros are hosted in the UK and Ireland. Burnley have thrown a spanner in the works by making the Welsh legend their number one target to replace the departed Scott Parker and are actively pursuing him. It is our understanding Bellamy could as much as quadruple his salary by moving back to the north-west where he worked as No.2 to Vincent Kompany, as well as being handed the opportunity of day-to-day club management.
One of his big frustrations in charge of Wales is the major gap between internationals before he gets to work with the likes of Harry Wilson, Neco Williams and Co again. Despite the mounting talk Bellamy might be leaving, a senior FAW source told us: “Nothing is imminent. Craig is our manager, he is under contract and we’re looking forward to the Nations League and Euro 2028.”
The FAW don’t want Bellamy to go and are ready to put up a fight, as best they can, to keep hold of him. That would mean Burnley having to pay every single penny of the compensation money it would take to buy Bellamy out of his Wales deal, which is reported to be around the £700,000 mark. We understand this is not the first time a club has been in touch with the FAW to enquire about Bellamy’s availability. Celtic were previously also thought to be keen on their former striker.
Wales stress though that until any potential financial settlement is properly discussed, it is business as normal for them. Similar approaches are often made about other leading employees, which don’t necessarily materialise in those individuals leaving. However, Burnley are very much testing the water on Bellamy after being hugely impressed with some of the early work he performed as Wales manager. They were particularly enchanted by the thrilling football on show during a 7-1 World Cup qualifying thumping of North Macedonia, when Harry Wilson scored a hat-trick.
Since that wonder display, results have become more of a struggle with Wales being knocked out of the World Cup by Bosnia, only drawing at home to Northern Ireland and Ghana and losing a friendly in Romania two weeks ago. Bellamy always talks up the quality of the personnel available to him, but the squad lacks the stardust of a Gareth Bale, Ryan Giggs, Ian Rush or Mark Hughes. As such, part of him might even wonder if he has taken the team as far as he can, although there is still a strong feeling from within that Wales can bounce back from their World Cup woe.
They face daunting, but exciting, Nations League fixtures this autumn against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Erling Haaland’s free-scoring Norway and a Denmark side determined to recover from their own inability to reach the World Cup. Wales start with away games in Portugal and Denmark, then home clashes against Norway and the Danes again, during an intensive 10-day international window in September and October. They then head to Norway in mid-November, before winding up the group with a glamour Cardiff City Stadium clash versus the Portuguese.
That is followed by the qualifying draw for Euro 2028 taking place in Belfast on December 6, with the tournament itself kicking off at the Principality Stadium, to be known as The National Stadium of Wales, in June 2028. Bellamy has stated he wishes to be in the dugout for that opener which should feature Wales if they qualify, but that depends entirely upon how the tug-of-war plays out between Burnley and the FAW in the coming days.
