Celtic are accelerating talks with Wilfried Nancy, the Columbus Crew manager, as they move closer to appointing him as Brendan Rodgers’ successor.
The Scottish champions informed the MLS club on Friday of their intentions, with compensation not expected to be an issue. Nancy is understood to be keen on the move, and Celtic hope to have him in place before next weekend’s match against St Mirren, ending Martin O’Neill’s brief stint as caretaker.
Nancy, a former Montreal boss, led Columbus Crew to seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference before exiting the playoffs to rivals FC Cincinnati. Initially seen as an outsider, he now fits Celtic’s preferred profile of a progressive coach who can work within the club’s transfer structure.
Other candidates, including Kieran McKenna, Robbie Keane, and Kjetil Knutsen, were considered, but head of football operations Paul Tisdale has identified Nancy as his top choice.
