Celtic FC Pursues Wilfried Nancy as New Manager

Celtic FC has officially reached out to the Columbus Crew concerning the potential appointment of Wilfried Nancy as their next manager, as reported by a source familiar with the situation to ESPN.

At 48 years old, Nancy has reportedly been in discussions with Celtic for several weeks; however, the reigning Scottish champions had not previously contacted the Crew until now. Both parties are currently engaged in negotiations to finalize an agreement that appears increasingly likely to see Nancy transition to the Scottish Premiership.

Additionally, conversations are underway regarding which members of Nancy’s coaching staff will accompany him to Glasgow.

Since the resignation of Brendan Rogers on October 27, following a challenging start to the season, Celtic has been without a permanent manager. Martin O’Neill has been serving as the interim manager during this period.

The Crew has had conversations with Nancy over the past few years about extending his contract, which is currently set to expire in 2026, and potentially making him the highest-paid manager in Major League Soccer (MLS). However, Nancy declined these offers, expressing his desire not to commit to a long-term deal as he harbors ambitions to manage internationally.

If a deal with Celtic is finalized, it would mark the conclusion of Nancy’s notably successful three-year tenure in Columbus, during which the team secured the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup in 2024. Following the latter victory, Nancy was honored as the MLS Coach of the Year.

In addition to this accolade, Nancy received commendation for implementing an attractive, possession-based style of football, all while managing a team that ranked just outside the top third in terms of player salary expenditures in 2025.

Previously, Nancy enjoyed a fruitful period as manager of CF Montréal from 2021 to 2022, leading them to victory in the Canadian Championship in 2021. He assumed this role after the unexpected resignation of Thierry Henry, following a decade with the club, which included coaching in their academy and serving as an assistant coach from 2016.

Nancy parted ways with Montréal in December 2022 following disagreements with owner Joey Saputo. His playing career was modest, beginning at the fourth-tier club Toulon and including tenures at various lower-league teams such as Beaucairois, Raon-l’Etape, Ivry, Noisy-le-Sec, Chatellerault, and Orleans.