Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy has been granted permission by his club to speak to Celtic about becoming their new manager, according to sources. The Hoops had already held talks with his representatives and believe that Nancy is a strong candidate for the job.
Nancy, 48, has won numerous titles including the MLS Cup and Leagues Cup as well as being named MLS Coach of the Year in the last two years. He also led Columbus Crew to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final last year.
The club's principal shareholder Dermot Desmond was meeting with interim boss Martin O'Neill in London to discuss whether he would stay on if a new manager could not be appointed before the end of the international break. Celtic want O'Neill to continue for a bit longer if they cannot strike a deal with one of their top targets, which includes Nancy.
Celtic are keen to have a new boss in place for their game against St Mirren next weekend, but would like O'Neill to stay on for a short period if negotiations break down. The club has had talks with several candidates including Wales manager Craig Bellamy and Club Brugge's Nicky Hayen.
Nancy refused to rule out the possibility of joining Celtic when asked at Columbus Crew's end-of-season press conference last week. When questioned about the prospect of moving to Celtic, he said: "I'm not here to talk about myself. I'm here to talk about the team, first and foremost."
O'Neill admitted that it was unclear if he would still be in charge by next weekend as talks with the board could take place at any time. He stated that his job was to hold the fort until a new manager was appointed, and that he would gladly step aside if someone else was brought in.
If Nancy were to join Celtic, they would have to officially approach Columbus Crew and discuss compensation. The club aims to finalize a new boss before their game against St Mirren next weekend.
Nancy, 48, has won numerous titles including the MLS Cup and Leagues Cup as well as being named MLS Coach of the Year in the last two years. He also led Columbus Crew to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final last year.
The club's principal shareholder Dermot Desmond was meeting with interim boss Martin O'Neill in London to discuss whether he would stay on if a new manager could not be appointed before the end of the international break. Celtic want O'Neill to continue for a bit longer if they cannot strike a deal with one of their top targets, which includes Nancy.
Celtic are keen to have a new boss in place for their game against St Mirren next weekend, but would like O'Neill to stay on for a short period if negotiations break down. The club has had talks with several candidates including Wales manager Craig Bellamy and Club Brugge's Nicky Hayen.
Nancy refused to rule out the possibility of joining Celtic when asked at Columbus Crew's end-of-season press conference last week. When questioned about the prospect of moving to Celtic, he said: "I'm not here to talk about myself. I'm here to talk about the team, first and foremost."
O'Neill admitted that it was unclear if he would still be in charge by next weekend as talks with the board could take place at any time. He stated that his job was to hold the fort until a new manager was appointed, and that he would gladly step aside if someone else was brought in.
If Nancy were to join Celtic, they would have to officially approach Columbus Crew and discuss compensation. The club aims to finalize a new boss before their game against St Mirren next weekend.
The whole thing with Wilfried Nancy and Celtic sounds like it could get pretty messy if things don't work out between them 
I mean, the guy's got loads of experience under his belt, having won all those titles in MLS 
. But at the same time, I can see why Celtic would want someone new in charge, especially if they're not feeling confident about Martin O'Neill staying on 
. It's a big club like Celtic that needs to make sure their manager is up to par 
. And yeah, it's weird that Nancy doesn't talk about himself more when asked about joining Celtic 
. Maybe he just wants to focus on the team and not get too caught up in all the hype 
, I mean, the dude's got skills and experience - winning titles in MLS and Leagues Cup, not to mention being named Coach of the Year two years in a row! 
#NancyToCeltic
. The fact that Celtic is already talking to other top candidates like Craig Bellamy and Nicky Hayen just shows how high the stakes are here. I'd love to see him bring that winning mentality to Parkhead, though 
.
dermot desmond's doin a great job lookin out 4 nancy 2, givin him permission 2 talk 2 celtic 
it was literally running around the kitchen, knocking over cups and spilling beans everywhere 
anyway back to celtic... i feel bad for martin o'Neill, he sounds like a really nice guy 
but if nancy does join the team, that would be epic! i mean, have u seen the new stadium they're building? it's gonna be sick 
They need someone with his experience and expertise to take them back to the top. And let's be real, who wouldn't want to work under that guy's management? 
He's got the MLS Cup and Leagues Cup under his belt, not to mention being named Coach of the Year two years in a row! 
That's what you want from a leader, right? And Martin O'Neill, bless his heart, is willing to step aside if it means the club can get someone even better. 
