ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 13: Columbus head coach Wilfried Nancy reacts during the MLS match between Columbus Crew and Atlanta United FC on September 13th, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Daily Record is back tracking on Wilfried Nancy’s move to Celtic being at an advanced stage.
Friday’s story added that they expected the Frenchman to be in charge this week and making his dug-out debut at St Mirren on Saturday.
Yesterday Celtic took the unusual step of announcing that Martin O’Neill is preparing for the match in Paisley.
At best the advanced talks to appoint Nancy have stalled. Or embarrassingly Nancy has taken a look inside the club and decided against a move to Scotland.
Or maybe a Celtic decision-maker has got cold feet after talks with the 48-year-old Frenchman?
On Friday Michael Gannon’s Record exclusive seemed to have the move almost done and dusted:
Celtic are in advanced talks to land Wilfried Nancy as new boss.
Record Sport can reveal the Columbus Crew head coach is Parkhead powerbroker Dermot Desmond’s No.1 target – and discussions with club chiefs are planned for this weekend with a view to nailing down a deal.
Gannon added:
Record Sport understands Nancy has been sold on the move and Parkhead officials are now hoping he can be on board for the side’s Premiership return against St Mirren next weekend.
Nancy is under contract at Columbus until the end of 2026 at least but sources in the US suggest the Ohio club will not stand in the 48-year-old’s way and Celts can secure their man with a compensation package of between £1m and £2m.
NO PERMISSION
Columbus Crew never announced that they had reluctantly given Nancy permission to speak to Celtic.
Of course talks could have been going on with an agent to lay the foundations for the switch from MLS to SPFL.
But at 5.06pm on Monday Celtic produced an interview with O’Neill from Lennoxtown that he was staying on.
Obviously that required some backtracking from the Record.
Over the weekend they had been putting the picture together. Discussing backroom staff and transfer targets, explaining why the manager that had finished seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference was the perfect fit to manage Celtic.
There was no update from Gannon to Monday’s announcement.
At 9.14pm Mark Pirie had the job of trying to explain why Friday’s story was hanging by a shoestring:
But the Frenchman has been made the no.1 target after an initial approach from Parkhead power broker Dermot Desmond following the departure of Brendan Rodgers – and it is understood he is already sold on the move.
Despite the waiting game with Celtic having to thrash out a compensation package with the MLS outfit, L’Equipe report that the 48-year-old’s stance on the job remains unchanged and he is “keen” on a switch to Glasgow’s east end.
Of course he will be keen on a move to Celtic. A big sized club, serial domestic champions with regular European football to test himself in.
THE CELTIC PACKAGE
There are however a few downsides.
Dermot Desmond’s statement after the resignation of Rodgers makes it clear that the non-executive Director is a significant influence at the club.
Nancy might be concerned that the Celtic CEO is forever silent. Perhaps during face to face talks or a zoom call Michael Nicholson shrugged his shoulders in answer to awkward questions.
Maybe Nancy looked at Celtic’s summer recruitment and wondered why a former Exeter manager has so much control.
Perhaps Nancy looked at the squad and the plans for January and decided that staying with Columbus Crew was the better career option.
Friday’s AGM will allow Nicholson to explain to shareholders how a world class club appoints a new manager in mid-season.
What happened to Celtic's deal for Wilfried Nancy?
NANCY SAID NO- He took a look and opted out
CELTIC SAID NO- He never made the right impression
Why would anyone touch the Celltic managerial job.
Board can’t be trusted, once you’re in they’ve got you over a barrel, everything’s your fault.
Yes Nancy has obviously checked out Celtic and seen the light , Celtic run by a cabal of greedy power hungry selfish bastards headed by the greediest and most ruthless dermot fuckin desmond,backed up by liewell and the silent one ,nicholson.
I wasn’t keen on the idea of getting Nancy in because I still think it’s too big a leap from the MLS to Celtic, but this has got the stench of this board all over it, they’ve probably chucked every other applicants CV in the bucket, they will now state they couldn’t get anyone in, so it’s MON to mentor Maloney who will eventually be named manager, job done millions saved brilliant job, if Celtic fans ain’t happy board don’t give a shit because they know all STs and merchandise will still be sold so its win win for the board , happy days Celtic fans.
So he has seen the light ? Ok then so who the fuck is left if he has seen the light? Do you want everybody to see it? Leaving no one? Fuck me .
Not much we can do eldraco,if prospective managers who are half decent check out how the board operates, keep just ahead of sevco in a pishy league,no ambition in Europe then they will not touch Celtic with a barge pole,it’s all down to the board, we’ll end up with some second rate yes man,if we’re not careful they might ask Lenny back,lol
Clearly converting compensation into a pesky foreign currency wasn’t for them it seems!
F – A – R – C – I – C – A – L
But then it’s The Daily Scummy reporting so who knows…
Lies, Lies and more bloody Lies !
If you remember when McInnes knocked back his boyhood hero clumpany – theRangers- the daily Record were all over the story like a pox on the skin ! In fact it had him in the door … guaranteed ! Inaction specifically asked his minion – G Parks- who covered the story how certain was he that McInnes was the next head coach in Ibroxland ? Only to be told ” as sure as night follows day ! ” It’s all on the now defunct Billy Bowie Record video at that time . We all know how that story ended up with old Mr P being constantly ignored on the juicy tales because of his incompetent work ? That’s the standard of sports journalism at that rag , now circling the drain of extinction !