Celtic have been tipped to appoint a title-winning manager with the deal ‘pretty much’ done already.
Celtic locked in Premiership title battle as manager search begins
Hearts are five points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership and closing in on something historic — their first title in 66 years, and the first championship won outside the Old Firm since Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen back in 1985.
For Celtic, the maths are straightforward and uncomfortable.
They need Hearts to slip up, and they need to win every game they can between now and the end of the season. Time is running out.
It has been a strange campaign at Parkhead.
Wilfried Nancy came and went, leaving the club in disarray, and club legend Martin O’Neill has stepped in to steady the ship on an interim basis twice.
He has done a decent job — knocking Rangers out of the Scottish Cup twice and keeping Celtic in contention on multiple fronts — but the 72-year-old has made clear he will stand down at the end of the season.
The search for a permanent successor has been quietly gathering pace in the background.
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Roberto Martinez has been one name most prominently linked.
The Portuguese national team boss has connections to the west of Scotland through his wife, and Rangers legend Ally McCoist went public this week saying Martinez was the name he had heard whispered most.
Shaun Maloney has also been hovering in the background, his increased involvement around the squad not going unnoticed by those paying attention.
But according to one well-placed football insider, the decision may already have been made — and the answer is closer to home.
Celtic deal for Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou a ‘done deal’
Keith Wyness, the former chief executive of Aberdeen, Everton and Aston Villa who now runs a consultancy advising elite clubs, believes Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou is the name Celtic are moving towards.
Speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness was emphatic.
“I think he is the obvious choice because he is now aware of the SPL,” Wyness said.
“He understands that he’s playing great football. He’s exactly what the Celtic fans would want to see in terms of football philosophy. I think he would be an excellent pick.
“It makes, as I say, so much more sense than bringing somebody in from the MLS. So I think that’s going to be pretty much a done deal, and I think he’s the right one to go with for Celtic.”
Strong words from a man who has operated at the highest levels of football administration.
Askou arrived at Motherwell at the start of the season and has seriously impressed, with his style at Motherwell even drawing comparisons to the big Ange era at Celtic.
The Steelmen are fourth in the Premiership, playing attractive, organised football, and the 43-year-old Dane has shown he can handle the demands of Scottish football without any bedding-in period.
Askou also has title-winning experience, having clinched the 24/25 Danish Super Liga title with FC Copenhagen before his move to Fir Park.
That last point matters enormously to Celtic — whoever takes charge this summer walks straight into a title challenge, a potential European campaign, and the weight of expectation that comes with managing one of Britain’s biggest clubs.
Whether it is Askou, Martinez or someone else entirely, Celtic need to get this one right.
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