Celtic are closing in on a new manager as they accelerate talks with Wilfried Nancy, the Frenchman who currently helms MLS side Columbus Crew, following Brendan Rodgers' explosive exit from Glasgow. A breakthrough in negotiations is believed to be imminent, with Celtic hoping to have Nancy at the helm by the time they face St Mirren next weekend.
The move would bring an end to Martin O'Neill's caretaker spell, which has seen him attempt to steady the ship since Rodgers' departure. The former Ireland boss was set to meet Celtic main shareholder Dermot Desmond in London on Friday but will now have to wait until a new manager is in place.
Nancy may seem like an unexpected candidate given his relatively low profile at the time of Rodgers' resignation, but he ticks all the right boxes for Celtic's hierarchy. A rising star in MLS, Nancy led Columbus Crew to seventh place in the Eastern Conference this season before they were knocked out by FC Cincinnati in the playoffs.
Despite initially being seen as outsiders, other contenders such as Kieran McKenna and Robbie Keane have fallen by the wayside due to their high wages and compensation clauses. While Bodรธ/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen has been linked with Celtic on several occasions, Paul Tisdale ultimately identified Nancy as his first choice.
As a result, Nancy is now edging closer to becoming Celtic's next manager, bringing an end to the chaos that has dogged the club since Rodgers' departure.
The move would bring an end to Martin O'Neill's caretaker spell, which has seen him attempt to steady the ship since Rodgers' departure. The former Ireland boss was set to meet Celtic main shareholder Dermot Desmond in London on Friday but will now have to wait until a new manager is in place.
Nancy may seem like an unexpected candidate given his relatively low profile at the time of Rodgers' resignation, but he ticks all the right boxes for Celtic's hierarchy. A rising star in MLS, Nancy led Columbus Crew to seventh place in the Eastern Conference this season before they were knocked out by FC Cincinnati in the playoffs.
Despite initially being seen as outsiders, other contenders such as Kieran McKenna and Robbie Keane have fallen by the wayside due to their high wages and compensation clauses. While Bodรธ/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen has been linked with Celtic on several occasions, Paul Tisdale ultimately identified Nancy as his first choice.
As a result, Nancy is now edging closer to becoming Celtic's next manager, bringing an end to the chaos that has dogged the club since Rodgers' departure.