More than a month after it was reported that Eddie Howe held face-to-face talks with Dermot Desmond and Dom McKay it seems that Celtic are no closer to appointing a new manager.
John Kennedy has been left in charge on an extended Interim basis, in five days time the season will be over with the current squad expected to be scattered far and wide.
Since Howe was announced to have held talks no new candidate has been linked with the Celtic job. The odd scrap about Davie Moyes or Roy Keane has surfaced without any real follow-up.
The exact state of play with the former Bournemouth boss remains something of a mystery. In two media appearances over the last month he hasn’t been asked about the Celtic speculation which seems unusual with pundits expected to play their part and open up in return for their match fee.
One theory that keeps resurfacing is that he might still be on some sort of contract with Bournemouth after leaving by mutual consent last August when they were relegated from the EPL.
Asked about his contract, on 23 December 2019 Howe the Bournemouth Echo reported:
The 42-year-old said: “My contract doesn’t end at the end of this season. I’ve got 18 months from now.”
Asked whether he was currently negotiating a new deal, Howe replied: “No. At the moment, I am concentrating on the games. They come thick and fast. People ask me about January transfers etc. I am focusing on Arsenal and that will go the same for my own future.”
That timeline would take him to 23 June 2021.
Another theory is that the backroom staff he wants to take from Bournemouth have contracts that could be altered if they return to the EPL. On Monday May 17 Bournemouth host Brentford in the Play Off Semi-Final with the final taking place at Wembley on May 29.
