Wilfried Nancy discusses recruitment as Celtic target gives insight on his non-negotiables

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Wilfried Nancy’s rumoured Celtic appointment has drawn a mixed reaction from fans.

He is evidently rated highly in the USA, but scepticism over his ability to implement his football at the Scottish champions remains.

He would be replacing Brendan Rodgers, one of the most decorated managers in Celtic’s history, who left after an intense dispute with the club over transfer business.

It was clear that Rodgers was demanding behind the scenes, and that these demands weren’t always met.

So what does Nancy want when it comes to transfers? He gave a revealing insight into his approach at Columbus last year.

Celtic-linked Wilfried Nancy on what he wants from player recruitment

Regardless of levels, Nancy’s Columbus played some fantastic football, which clearly requires a certain type of player.

If he can be involved in the player recruitment process at Celtic, he will certainly be worth listening to.

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He lifted the lid on his approach to recruitment with the New Ground podcast, naming his three non-negotiables.

He said: “The most important is to have clarity with our vision. And after that, it’s to get the right people to try to process this vision.

“And for me, there is profile. Without profile, this is impossible to achieve something. If you’re asking me to do content, I don’t have the capacity to do it. I have to learn from that.

“So what we do is, we have criteria within the profile of player that we want. First is effort. Without effort, you cannot do anything for me. I don’t want to waste time telling my players that they have to make an effort.

“No. Trust, if my player has really good quality, but he is not able to firstly have effort, we cannot work together.

“Second is audacity. Because the way we play, and what we do in life, what I’ve learned is that if you’re audacious, you maximise your chance to achieve something.

“And the third one is your brain. Smart, intelligence. Because my games and the style of play, the way I am as a person and the way I teach certain things, there is a lot of nuance.

“So everything took me time to define what type of profile.”

Wilfried Nancy’s best signings at Montreal and Columbus

Diego Rossi has been linked with an instant link-up with Nancy at Celtic, having been a star for the Crew since being signed from Fenerbahce in 2023.

Daniel Gazdag racked up 11 goal contributions from midfield in 2025, signing for Columbus after previously being linked with Celtic.

A player who was signed by Celtic was Alistair Johnston, who Nancy brought to Montreal from Nashville. Nancy said he tracked Johnston at Celtic.

Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali was also linked with Celtic before moving to Columbus in July, after scoring a hat-trick against Porto in the Club World Cup.