Celtic are pushing to appoint Wilfried Nancy as their new manager, with talks set to accelerate over the weekend. The Columbus Crew boss has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Brendan Rodgers, whose second spell in charge ended acrimoniously last month.
The Scottish champions have informed the MLS club of their intentions and do not expect compensation to be a major obstacle. Nancy is said to be keen on the move, with Celtic hoping to have him in place before their trip to St Mirren next weekend.
Martin O’Neill, who has been serving as caretaker, met majority shareholder Dermot Desmond in London on Friday.
Nancy, a Frenchman who previously managed Montreal, guided Columbus Crew to seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference this season before a playoff exit to FC Cincinnati. His reputation as a progressive coach who works within structured recruitment systems fits Celtic’s preferred managerial profile.
Other names considered included Kieran McKenna, Robbie Keane, and Kjetil Knutsen, but head of football operations Paul Tisdale has identified Nancy as the club’s top choice.
