Peter Martin suspects Celtic appointment before AGM, but raises Wilfried Nancy alternative

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Celtic may not have a new manager yet, but there is a leading contender.

It seems that the Parkhead hierarchy have decided on pushing for Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy, with talks taking place over the weekend.

He was far from the initial favourite for the job, as a relative unknown in Scotland. But with two trophies in three years at Columbus Crew in MLS, he has established himself as one of the league’s best coaches.

Celtic Head of Football Operations Paul Tisdale, who is playing a leading part in the managerial search, is familiar with Nancy’s assistant Kwame Ampadu from their time at Exeter City.

So Nancy looks to be the clear winner of the race – but not everyone is enthused by the news.

Peter Martin on an alternative for Wilfried Nancy at Celtic

A Celtic statement on Monday confirmed that Martin O’Neill and his backroom staff will remain in interim charge until a new man is appointed.

With the Celtic AGM approaching on Friday, Peter Martin expects that Celtic might want to get their manager in before then.

READ MORE: Wilfried Nancy ‘planning for next season’ at Columbus Crew as Celtic reports contradicted

But his first choice wouldn’t be Nancy.

Kieran McKenna, Kjetil Knutsen and Ange Postecoglou are among those to have been linked – and Martin made his standout candidate known on PLZ Soccer’s Football Show, also giving his feeling ahead of the AGM.

He said: “One thing that I think might be in the mind of the likes of Dermot Desmond is that there’s an AGM coming up.

“Maybe they’ll think to themselves [to say]: ‘ladies and gentlemen, there’s quite a considerable amount of money in the bank here, here’s your new manager, it’s a new beginning.

“We’re still here and we’re not budging’.

“Someone sent me a text the other day that said ‘who would you have, among all the runners and riders?’

“And I said, I’d have Knutsen. I think there’s a greater understanding and a greater expertise of what’s required. And Bodo/Glimt have been really good.”

Knutsen’s contract with the Norwegian champions expires at the end of the year, but he is supposedly keen on staying until the end of their Champions League campaign.

What will be discussed at Celtic’s AGM?

Celtic’s AGM hasn’t arrived at such after such a dramatic build-up in years.

Celtic fan protests have targeted in-stadium action and merchandise boycotts after a poor transfer window left the Hoops squad weakened this summer.

This directly led to Brendan Rodgers’ departure – though Dermot Desmond won’t be at the meeting to address his scathing statement towards the departed boss.

Other topics of conversation will likely be fan engagement, stadium experience and, if it isn’t sorted before then, the club’s search for a new manager.