Breakthrough- Rodgers agrees terms for his Celtic return

Brendan Rodgers has agreed terms for his Celtic return with just the fine details of his backroom staff to be resolved before the official announcement is made.

Just a week after Spurs announced the appointment of Ange Postecoglou the hoops have completed a deal that brings the Irishman back to Scottish football where he has a record of winning seven trophies out of seven.

Rodgers left Leicester at the start of April with the intention of taking a year out of football but is set to return to Celtic to head up a new management team that goes straight into the group stage of the Champions League.

Late on Wednesday night the Daily Mail reported:

BRENDAN RODGERS was last night putting the finishing touches to his new-look Celtic backroom team.

The Northern Irishman has agreed to return to Parkhead as manager, four years since he left for Leicester City.

And, barring a last-minute hitch, the Scottish champions will confirm the 50-year-old as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement in a deal that will make Rodgers the highest paid manager in Celtic history.

Chief executive Michael Nicholson and finance director Chris McKay flew by private jet to Mallorca for face-to-face talks with their No 1 managerial target on Saturday.

And Rodgers thrashed out the conditions of his second stint in charge during a series of conversations with major shareholder Dermot Desmond.

Postecoglou wants assistant manager John Kennedy to join him on a four-year deal at Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite expressing a wish to leave, Kennedy is bound by the terms of an agreement blocking the Australian from poaching his former staff.

And, in a conversation on Tuesday, Rodgers made it clear to the former Scotland defender that he was an important part of his plans.

Leicester City first team post-match analyst Jack Lyons will also return to Celtic together with fitness and performance coach Glen Driscoll.

Dismissed by Leicester in April, Rodgers originally intended to take a sabbatical from the game.

An agreement to return to Celtic, the club he left suddenly in February 2019, was predicated on an undertaking by directors to invest in the players and infrastructure improvements necessary to establish the club as a competitive force in Europe.

John Kennedy’s future will be the main issue with the former Celtic defender wanted by Ange Postecoglou at Spurs.

Rodgers was happy to work with Kennedy during his first stint in charge of the hoops but at the age of 40 e might want to spread his wings and sample English football alongside Postecoglou.

Resolving that situation will be the last issue for Celtic and Rodgers to iron out with Scott Brown, Glen Driscoll and Chris Davies all in the mix for a role at Celtic as Rodgers prepares to return to Scottish football.