Celtic are ‘accelerating’ their move to appoint Wilfried Nancy.
The Columbus Crew boss is reportedly Dermot Desmond’s top target to replace Brendan Rodgers, and the Hoops have been granted permission to negotiate with him.
Understandably, the 48-year-old is keen on the job. He has only been a manager since 2021, and has worked exclusively in MLS.
Crucially, he has done this successfully, taking Columbus from a crisis to becoming MLS Cup champions, Leagues Cup winners and CONCACAF Champions League finalists.
But the Celtic job will undoubtedly be a step up for him – and when it comes to transfers, one report is particularly revealing about the club’s expectations.
Wilfried Nancy will ‘accept’ Celtic’s transfer policies
Rodgers’ sudden departure last month was a culmination of months of controversy around transfers.
Rodgers and the club clearly didn’t see eye-to-eye on the fundamental process of player signings. If there was any doubt over this, Desmond’s scathing statement put it to bed.
READ MORE: Chris Sutton sets the record straight on Celtic’s ‘gamble’ on Wilfried Nancy
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Clearly, alignment is essential for any managerial appointment. Desmond won’t fancy his new man chatting about Honda Civics in the media.
But a wave of Celtic fan protests is a clear sign that Rodgers had a point. Despite delivering the European success he promised last season, he was given a substandard transfer window in return.
According to Guardian, Nancy ‘fits the desired Celtic profile of an emerging coach who the Scottish champions believe can progress within their system and accept transfer policies.’
The wording of this is crucial – it confirms what we already know, that the club’s word goes when it comes to transfers.
Rodgers may have been seen as a disruptor, but given the magnitude of this opportunity for Nancy, the Frenchman may be seen as a ‘yes man’.
But if the club think that they can consistently deliver transfer windows like the one that they did this summer, they are in for a shock. The fans wouldn’t let them away with it, let alone the manager.
Nothing is ever guaranteed when it comes to transfers at Celtic – it will be crucial for Nancy to get a tune out of the players he already has if he wants to be a success.
Celtic’s summer transfer window
The summer window saw Celtic sell Nicolas Kuhn to Como in early July, giving them plenty of time to search for a replacement – or you would think so, at least.
Celtic didn’t replace their right-winger. Despite the club being in desperate need of a replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi, they sold Adam Idah, despite Rodgers being clear that he didn’t expect him to leave without a replacement.
Hayato Inamura, Shin Yamada, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Callum Osmand were all left out of Rodgers’ Europa League squad after joining this summer.
It wasn’t all bad – Sebastian Tounekti, Benjamin Nygren and Marcelo Saracchi have all made an impact since signing. But the Hoops’ struggles this season are a clear sign that their squad has become weaker.