Burnley boss Vincent Kompany is a surprise name on Bayern Munich’s list of potential candidates to become their new coach.
Kompany and Bayern have had initial talks though it is not known how far they have progressed and how close the parties are to making a decision.
The Bundesliga giants have struggled to find a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, whose exit was confirmed last week after initially being announced in February.
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann and Austria coach Ralf Rangnick have all turned the job down.
Talks aimed at persuading Tuchel to stay on failed to reach a positive conclusion, leaving Bayern with a problem.
Kompany has built a decent reputation during his time at Anderlecht and Burnley, although the Clarets’ relegation – following lofty pre-season expectations – has not reflected well on the Belgian.
However, he has knowledge of the Bundesliga from his time as a player at Hamburg and speaks German.
If Bayern were to make a formal approach, it is sure to be attractive to Kompany, who signed a five-year contract extension at Burnley in 2023 but refused to answer questions about his future after Sunday’s season-ending defeat by Nottingham Forest.
Bayern endured a trophyless campaign under Tuchel, finishing third in the league behind unbeaten champions Leverkusen and second-placed Stuttgart.