Wilfried Nancy to Celtic edges closer as key timeframe set with top choice sold on move

We can reveal the Nancy kicked off discussions with club chiefs on Friday night

Celtic are edging closer to securing Wilfried Nancy as new boss after a weekend of talks.

Record Sport can reveal the Columbus Crew head coach kicked off discussions with club chiefs on Friday night and the parties continued to iron out the details over the weekend a view to getting a deal over the line before Friday’s annual general meeting.

Nancy has been made the no.1 target after an initial approach from Parkhead power broker Dermot Desmond following the departure of Brendan Rodgers.

The 48-year-old has been sold on the move but negotiations are ongoing and Celts will also have to thrash out a compensation package with the MLS outfit.

Nancy has at least 12 months remaining on his current deal in the US and it also remains to be seen if the former CF Montreal head coach will be bringing some of his backroom team.

Former Ireland international Kwame Ampadu has been his right hand man since the pair were in Canada, while highly-rated Yoann Damet is also a big part of his team in Ohio.

Several backroom staff departed Parkhead on the back of Brendan Rodgers’s exit last month, including long-serving no.2 John Kennedy and analysts Jack Lyons and Adam Sadler, along with head of performance Glen Driscoll.

Martin O’Neil stepped in as interim boss with Shaun Maloney moving up from pathways boss to aid the returning club hero.

Maloney also drafted in Mark Fotheringham to the bench team, with Stephen McManus stepping up from the B team set up.

It’s not yet known whether the shuffling behind the scenes in the short term could lead to more permanent roles alongside the incoming manager.

Nancy is understood to be willing to have a local coach on board but has built a strong relationship with his team in the States.

Ampadu was a former Arsenal youth product who went to play for several years in England, including a long spell with Swansea City.

He began his coaching career at Exeter City’s youth set up – where Celts head of football operations Paul Tisdale was boss – in 2008 before becoming part of the Arsenal Academy set up.

Ampadu hooked up with Gunners legend Thierry Henry as assistant boss at Monaco and then followed the France hero to CF Montreal – where he hooked up with Nancy.

The pair both moved to Columbus Crew in 2022 and were joined by Damet, who was also part of the Montreal youth set up before spells at assistant head coach at FC Cincinnati and then LA Galaxy.

Click here to read article