Celtic have agreed a to a second appointment as a key condition in their deal to bring Columbus Crew mananger Wilfried Nancy to Parkhead.
The 48-year-old Frenchman has been head coach of Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew since December 2022. He began his managerial career with CF Montreal in March 2021 following the departure of Thierry Henry.
Celtic have been searching for a new permanent manager since Brendan Rodgers resigned, with Martin O’Neill, assisted by Shaun Maloney, overseeing the Scottish champions’ last five matches in an interim capacity.
Either Thursday’s trip to Feyenoord or the visit to Hibernian on Sunday will be the duo’s final game in charge however, as Fabrizio Romano revealed the only step left is to iron out the ‘final details’ before exchanging contracts.
The new manager may also have his first Celtic transfer target lined up too, with a move for Columbus Crew star Wessam Abou Ali in the offiing this winter.
And it appears Nancy’s deal with Celtic also includes the arrival of a new assistant manager, with Kwame Ampadu set to follow him from Ohio to Glasgow.
Celtic add Kwame Ampadu to Nancy's coaching staff
As reported by Pete O’Rourke shortly before Romano’s update, Nancy will be joined by Ampadu, who has been his assistant in Columbus since 2023.
The 54 year-old, who was born in Bradford but represented Republic of Ireland as a player, started his managerial career at a youth coach at Exeter City and Arsenal.
He is the father of Leeds United and Wales captain Ethan Ampadu, and has been alongside Nancy for their triumphs in the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup last year.
The pair have been praised for their tactical innovation, with Crew midfielder Aidan Morris explaning: “I think we play a style of soccer that’s very brave, and we’re not scared to try things.
Bad news for Kenny: Nancy set to make first Celtic move for "clinical" CF
Celtic are reportedly set to make a move for a striker Wilfried Nancy has already worked with in his career.
ByDan Emery
“We’re always being pushed to try new things, tactically, technically, being pushed outside our comfort zone. Speaking for myself, I’ve had to grow so much since I stepped in with Wilfried.
“He’s asked me do to so many different things and I’ve had some games where I’ve struggled with it, but then the next game or the next few games I’m more comfortable with it.
“So it’s a constant evolution of the game, and he says it’s an infinite game, so he’s always pushing us to try new things, experiment.”