BURNLEY today refused Championship rivals Leicester City permission to speak to Steve Cotterill over their managerial vacancy.

The Foxes are in the hunt for a new boss following last week's sacking of Craig Levein after just 14 months in charge.

Cotterill has jumped straight to the top of City's wanted list to take over and become the sixth manager in as many years at the Walkers Stadium.

However, Burnley chairman Barry Kilby swiftly rejected the approach before hinting at crisis talks with the in-demand Clarets chief before tomorrow's league game away to Brighton.

Kilby said: "I received a call this morning from Leicester City's chief executive Tim Davies, which must have lasted under 30 seconds.

"They asked for permission to speak to Steve and I said no way'. I am trying to negotiate an extension to his contract and build things here with Steve, not see him leave."

City's shock move threatens to throw Burnley's season into turmoil following the £1.75m sale of leading goalscorer Ade Akinbiyi to Sheffield United last week.

Cotterill, who has just under 18 months left of his current contract, was immediately told he had over £1million of that cash available to strengthen the squad.

However the Burnley manager, who was distraught at losing Akinbiyi, suffered a frustrating weekend after seeing TWO bids for un-named players turned down by their respective clubs.

And Kilby revealed he is now planning to sit down with Cotterill and discuss the latest worrying development ahead of tomorrow's trip to the south coast.

He added: "I am meeting Steve tomorrow because I think it is important we talk things over face-to-face. Clearly I don't welcome this approach from Leicester at the end of what has been a tough week, but I need to know what he is feeling."

Meanwhile, Cotterill was today desperately scouring the transfer market for reinforcements after missing out on two targets over the weekend.

Exhaustive enquiries have so far drawn a blank as the clock ticks down to tomorrow's game, which coincides with the midnight closure of the January transfer window.

Sources in Sunderland suggest that Andy Gray, 28, might have been one of the names in the frame to replace Akinbiyi after struggling to earn a regular starting role at the Stadium of Light.

However Cotterill today refused to reveal identities or name targets for fear he could miss out altogether.

The Clarets chief, who returned to England with the squad last night, revealed: "We have had a couple of offers turned down for a couple of players.

"I won't name them because that's unfair on the club and unfair on the players, but I don't think we can afford to go back with an improved offer on those players."

Elsewhere, Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock has defended smashing the club's transfer record to sign Akinbiyi.

Warnock said: "Some people might think that Ade cost us a lot of money, others might not. But what I know is that if we do get promotion and then we'd gone in for him in the summer as a Premiership club then he'd have cost an awful lot more.

"That's the way it works these days and to be honest, when you look at some of the fees other strikers have gone for recently, then I don't think we've paid over the odds.

"You've got young lads going for £3m and £7m, whereas Ade is a proven experienced performer."