Celtic FC Approaches Columbus Crew for Manager Wilfried Nancy

omidbasir- Celtic FC has officially initiated contact with Columbus Crew concerning the potential appointment of Wilfried Nancy as their next manager, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The 48-year-old Nancy has reportedly been in discussions with Celtic for several weeks. However, this marks the first time the Scottish champions have reached out to the Crew. Current negotiations indicate that both parties are working towards finalizing an agreement, with the prospect of Nancy moving to the Scottish Premiership becoming increasingly likely.

Ongoing discussions are also addressing which members of Nancy’s coaching staff would accompany him to Glasgow.

Celtic has been without a permanent manager since Brendan Rodgers resigned on October 27, following a challenging start to the season. Since then, Martin O’Neill has been serving as the interim manager.

In recent years, the Crew has engaged in discussions with Nancy regarding an extension of his contract, which currently runs through 2026, with intentions to make him the highest-paid manager in Major League Soccer (MLS). However, Nancy has declined these offers, expressing his desire not to sign a long-term commitment due to his ambitions to manage abroad.

If the deal with Celtic is finalized, it would conclude Nancy’s highly successful three-year tenure in Columbus, where he led the team to victory in the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup in 2024. Following the latter achievement, he was honored as the MLS Coach of the Year.

In addition to this accolade, Nancy has garnered praise for implementing an attractive, possession-based style of play, all while managing a team that, in 2025, was just outside the top third in terms of player salary expenditure.

Prior to his time with the Crew, Nancy enjoyed a successful stint as manager of CF Montréal from 2021 to 2022, where he won the Canadian Championship in 2021. He was appointed to this role following the unexpected resignation of Thierry Henry and had spent a decade with the club, initially working in their academy before joining the first team as an assistant in 2016. He left Montréal in December 2022 after a dispute with owner Joey Saputo.

Throughout his playing career, Nancy competed at a modest level, starting with fourth-tier Toulon and later playing for various lower league clubs, including Beaucairois, Raon-l’Étape, Ivry, Noisy-le-Sec, Châtellerault, and Orléans.