The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is reportedly formulating contingency plans should head coach Craig Bellamy depart for Burnley, with former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper emerging as a primary contender for the national team job. Informal discussions between FAW officials and Cooper are understood to have taken place before renewed speculation about Bellamy's potential return to the Lancashire club intensified.
Burnley, recently relegated from the Premier League, are actively seeking a new manager following Scott Parker's exit. Their pursuit of Bellamy, who previously served as an assistant coach at the club under Vincent Kompany, has reportedly stepped up. Should Bellamy rejoin Burnley, the FAW is expected to demand a compensation package of at least £1 million, given he still has two years remaining on his four-year contract.
Steve Cooper, who guided Nottingham Forest to Premier League promotion in 2022, would be a free agent, having left Danish side Brondby earlier this year, meaning no compensation fee would be required for his services. Another name reportedly under consideration is former Wolves manager Rob Edwards. Both Cooper and Edwards were in strong positions for the Wales job when Bellamy was appointed in 2024, but Edwards was managing Premier League side Luton at the time.
Bellamy, 46, publicly stated earlier this month that he had rejected other club offers, reiterating his commitment to lead Wales to Euro 2028, which the nation will co-host. However, he has also expressed a desire to return to club football for financial reasons, having taken a significant pay cut to move from his assistant role at Burnley to the Wales top job. Despite senior FAW sources expressing confidence in Bellamy's continuity last month, they now acknowledge his departure is a possibility if Burnley's offer is satisfactory.
Under Bellamy, Wales achieved promotion to the top tier of the Nations League, where they are set to face Portugal, Norway, and Denmark later this year, having gone unbeaten in his first nine games. However, their World Cup qualification hopes were dashed following a play-off semi-final loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina in March, and the team has recorded only three wins in their last eleven matches.