BURNLEY will hold final interviews this weekend before naming their new manager early next week.

An emergency board meeting last night resulted in the nine-man short-list being whittled down to just two targets, with favourite Ronnie Moore almost certain to still be in the frame - despite the obstacle of a £150,000 compensation clause lurking in his contract at Millmoor.

Upbeat Burnley chief executive Dave Edmundson said: "We are closing in on the final stretch and I don't think it will be too long now before we have our man.

"It is just a question of reaching a final decision, but then you cannot put a timescale on how long it takes to agree things with the chosen man.

"However, at the moment, we are still on course to keep our target of naming the new man early next week."

I understand that Moore, who has now been approached by another interested club, would quit Rotherham and bring several players with him after growing frustrated at a protracted takeover bid that took another twist yesterday.

Haulage magnate Neil Freeman has promised to make Moore a millionaire and give him a seat on the board if his plan to buy the club is successful.

However, the deal is in danger of collapsing after current chairman Ken Booth, 83, insisted on a cash-up-front deal.

Former director Freeman knows that time is of the essence with Moore on the verge of jumping ship - and has now set a seven-day deadline for the club to hand over power.

Crucially though, that still falls outside Burnley's time frame for appointing a new man to succeed Stan Ternent.

It has emerged that Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager John Robertson was one of several mystery men interviewed by the Clarets.

The ambitious former Hearts striker is keen to manage south of the border after taking Caley to the Scottish Premier League last season.

However, I understand the Burnley board are sticking to their guns and want someone with vast knowledge of the English leagues to implement chairman Barry Kilby's three-year masterplan.

More pressingly, up to ten new players need to be signed over the summer to bolster one of the smallest squads in the Football League.

And that means Moore's rival for the Turf Moor vacancy will definitely be an experienced hand.