Burnley and Preston eye ex-West Brom boss after Valencia sack

Carlos Corberan, 43, has been dismissed as head coach of La Liga side Valencia after just five league games, leaving the club rock‑bottom with one goal scored and ten conceded, including a 5‑0 home loss to Barcelona and prompting chairman Peter Lim to act.

Corberan’s track record in the Championship

Corberan began his coaching career in the Cypriot lower leagues before joining Leeds United’s Under‑23 side in 2017. He later worked with Marcelo Bielsa’s staff, led Huddersfield Town to a 20th‑place finish in 2020 and a third‑place finish in 2022, and guided West Bromwich Albion to ninth‑ and fifth‑place finishes before moving to Valencia in December 2024.

Burnley and Preston eye a turnaround

Burnley, relegated from the Premier League last season, have failed to win any of their first seven Championship matches under Belgian manager Nicky Hayen. The Clarets have already conceded 16 goals, matching a tally they recorded less than two years ago when they were last in the division. With the club’s confidence low, Corberan’s experience of motivating squads on limited budgets makes him an attractive candidate for Turf Moor.

Preston North End became the first Championship side to dismiss a manager this season after Paul Heckingbottom oversaw just one win from seven games, including a 1‑0 home defeat to Lincoln City. The Lilywhites invested over £10 million in players such as Alfie Devine, Johnny Kenny, Stanley Mills and Harry Clarke, yet the spending has not translated into points. Corberan’s proven ability to achieve respectable league positions with constrained resources could offer Preston a swift revival.

If Corberan accepts a role at either club, he could restore belief and organise a more resilient defence, while the clubs would provide him with a platform to rebuild his reputation after the Valencia setback. Why both sides are monitoring his availability underscores the urgency to reverse their early‑season struggles.

Action images By James Pennington AM GMT+1 James is a Stoke City fan, born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent. He graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2025 with a 1:1 (Hons) in Sports Journalism, and began his Journalism career with shortly after.

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