Celtic FC Pursues Wilfried Nancy as New Manager

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

Nancy, 48, has reportedly been in discussions with Celtic for several weeks; however, the Scottish champions had yet to make official contact with the Crew until now. The two parties are currently “working to finalize an agreement that’s trending towards Wilfried moving to the Scottish Premiership,” the source noted.

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

Since Brendan Rogers resigned on October 27 following a challenging start to the season, Celtic has been operating without a permanent manager, with Martin O’Neill stepping in on an interim basis.

The Crew has held discussions with Nancy over the past few years to extend his contract, which is currently set to run through 2026, with aspirations to make him the highest-paid manager in Major League Soccer (MLS). However, Nancy declined these offers, expressing a 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 Nancy’s highly successful three-year tenure in Columbus, during which he led the team to victory in the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup in 2024. Following the latter achievement, Nancy was recognized as the MLS Coach of the Year.

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

Nancy previously enjoyed a successful tenure as manager of CF Montréal from 2021 to 2022, where he claimed the Canadian Championship in 2021. He rose to this position after the unexpected resignation of Thierry Henry. Before his managerial role, Nancy spent a decade with Montreal, initially coaching in their academy and then serving as an assistant coach for the first team starting in 2016. He departed Montreal in December 2022 following a disagreement with owner Joey Saputo.

On the playing front, Nancy had a modest career, beginning with fourth-tier Toulon and later playing for various lower league clubs, including Beaucairois, Raon-l’Étape, Ivry, Noisy-le-Sec, Châtellerault, and Orléans.