Celtic are accelerating negotiations with Wilfried Nancy as they move closer to appointing the Columbus Crew boss as Brendan Rodgers’ successor.
The Scottish champions informed the MLS club on Friday of their intention to pursue Nancy, with compensation not expected to be an issue. The French coach is said to be keen on the move, and Celtic hope to have him in place before their trip to St Mirren next weekend, ending Martin O’Neill’s brief stint as caretaker.
Nancy, who previously managed Montreal, led Columbus Crew to seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference this season before losing to FC Cincinnati in the first playoff round.
Celtic’s hierarchy, including major shareholder Dermot Desmond, view Nancy as an ideal fit — an up-and-coming coach willing to work within the club’s development-focused structure and transfer model.
While Kieran McKenna of Ipswich Town was initially considered the frontrunner, Celtic did not make a formal approach due to his high compensation clause and salary demands. Robbie Keane and Kjetil Knutsen were also linked, but head of football operations Paul Tisdale has made Nancy his top choice.
