Celtic next manager latest as club closes in on Wilfried Nancy and £5.7m striker also linked with switch

The Parkhead hierarchy are now in advanced talks with Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy, who has been the clear frontrunner for the vacancy for the past ten days, and an appointment could be made over the coming days.

It would bring an end to what has become an elongated search for a new boss for the defending Premiership champions, who issued an official update last week confirming that interim manager Martin O’Neill would remain in charge until a permanent successor was made.

O’Neill presided over a last-gasp 1-0 win over St Mirren on Saturday, a result that moved Celtic to within four points of league leaders Hearts. It was the Northern Irishman’s fifth game as caretaker, with three Premiership victories, a Premier Sports Cup semi-final triumph over Rangers and a Europa League defeat by FC Midtjylland.

However, O’Neill stressed the need for a full-time arrangement and it now appears that his second spell in the Celtic dugout is drawing to a close, with Nancy understood to be in detailed discussions with the Celtic hierarchy.

Nancy, 48, has a year left on his contract with Columbus Crew and held initial talks with Celtic earlier this month. The Frenchman is understood to be a keen on a move across the Atlantic after spells in the MLS and also at the helm of Canadian side CF Montreal - where he worked with current Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston.

Compensation and coaching team

Celtic would have to agree compensation with Columbus Crew for Nancy and also some of his backroom staff and talks are progressing between all parties. His current assistants Kwame Ampadu and Yoann Damet have also been mooted with a move.

Celtic have two games this week and it remains to be seen if Nancy would be in position in time to take the team for Thursday’s Europa League trip to Dutch side Feyenoord and Sunday’s Premiership assignment against Hibs at Easter Road. A more likely debut for him could come on Wednesday, December 3 when Celtic play host to Dundee in the league.

Celtic have a busy December schedule which also includes the Premier Sports Cup final against St Mirren at Hampden Park in the middle of the month.

O’Neill has made it clear that he does not see himself as a long-term solution to Celtic’s management vacancy. The 73-year-old answered an SOS call from major shareholder Dermot Desmond after Rodgers’ resignation on October 27 for a sensational second spell in charge and has been overseeing first-team affairs, with former player Shaun Maloney as his assistant.

Celtic also brought in Mark Fotheringham to help out the coaching team after the long-serving John Kennedy also left alongside Rodgers. It remains to be seen if Maloney and Fotheringham would be kept on as part of a new management team.

Nancy would arrive at Celtic facing significant unrest from the club’s supporters. Last week’s AGM had to be adjourned and then abandoned after disruption from certain sections of the audience, with some shareholders calling for the board to be sacked.

He would also have to lead what could be a busy winter of transfer activity given the club’s two previously failed window - with Columbus Crew’s prolific Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali the latest striker to be linked with Celtic, with The Scottish Sun reporting that the 26-year-old - who cost the MLS side £5.7 million earlier this year - could follow Nancy to Scottish football.