Celtic are moving quickly to appoint Wilfried Nancy as their next manager, with talks expected to accelerate over the weekend. The Columbus Crew boss has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Brendan Rodgers, whose second spell at the club ended acrimoniously in October.
The Scottish champions have informed Columbus of their intentions, and any compensation fee is not expected to be an obstacle. Nancy, who is reportedly keen on the move, could be in place before Celtic’s trip to St Mirren next weekend, ending Martin O’Neill’s brief caretaker spell.
Nancy, 47, fits Celtic’s preferred profile of a progressive, adaptable coach comfortable working within their transfer structure. After guiding Montreal earlier in his career, he took Columbus to seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference this season before a playoff exit to FC Cincinnati.
While Kieran McKenna of Ipswich was initially seen as the frontrunner, no approach has been made, and his salary demands are considered too high. Other names, including Robbie Keane and Kjetil Knutsen, were discussed, but Paul Tisdale, Celtic’s head of football operations, has identified Nancy as his top choice.
