Celtic FC Pursues Wilfried Nancy as Next Manager

omidbasir- Celtic FC has formally reached out to Columbus Crew concerning the potential hiring of Wilfried Nancy as their next manager, according to a source familiar with the matter, as reported by ESPN.

Nancy, 48, has been in discussions with Celtic for several weeks, but the reigning Scottish champions had not yet made contact with the Crew. This initial step has now been taken, with both parties reportedly working towards finalizing an agreement that appears to favor Nancy’s move to the Scottish Premiership.

Discussions are also underway regarding which members of Nancy’s coaching staff may accompany him to Glasgow.

Since Brendan Rodgers resigned on October 27, following a challenging start to the season, Celtic has been without a permanent manager. Martin O’Neill has been overseeing the team on an interim basis since that time.

The Crew had previously engaged in conversations with Nancy regarding an extension of his contract, which is currently set to run through 2026, with an aim to make him the highest-paid manager in Major League Soccer (MLS). However, Nancy declined these offers, expressing his desire not to commit to a longer-term deal as he harbors ambitions to manage abroad.

Should the agreement with Celtic be finalized, it would mark the conclusion of a successful three-year tenure for Nancy in Columbus. His time there included winning the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup in 2024. Following the latter victory, he was honored as the MLS Coach of the Year.

In addition to this accolade, Nancy has been commended for his attractive, possession-based style of football, guiding a squad that ranked just outside the top third in player salary expenditures in 2025.

Nancy also previously enjoyed a successful stint as the manager of CF Montréal from 2021 to 2022, where he secured the Canadian Championship in 2021. He ascended to that role following the unexpected resignation of Thierry Henry and had spent a decade with Montreal, moving from coaching in their academy to an assistant role in the first team in 2016. He left Montréal in December 2022 due to a disagreement with owner Joey Saputo.

Nancy’s playing career was modest, beginning with fourth-tier Toulon and including time at various lower league teams such as Beaucairois, Raon-l’Étape, Ivry, Noisy-le-Sec, Châtellerault, and Orléans.