Celtic look set to finally confirm the appointment of their permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead with the arrival of Wilfried Nancy from Columbus Crew.
Rodgers tendered his resignation at the end of October, after a 3-1 loss to Hearts, and experienced manager Martin O’Neill has taken the reins as interim head coach for the past month or so.
The former Celtic boss, as shown in the graphic above, won the Scottish Premiership title in his first two seasons back at Parkhead, and it will be down to Nancy to overcome Hearts to win the division in his first season.
Journalist Graeme Bailey claims that the Hoops are set to confirm the appointment of the MLS boss before the weekend, but that means that it remains to be seen if he will be in the dugout for the weekend’s clash with Hibernian.
Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen and Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna were also said to be in the running for the role, but it is the Frenchman who is poised to replace Rodgers.
Whilst Nancy will have to deal with the players that he inherits for the first month or so of his reign in Glasgow, the incoming boss has already been linked with a move to bring one of his Columbus Crew stars to Scotland.
The Columbus Crew star Wilfried Nancy could bring to Celtic
Earlier this week, it was reported that Celtic are lining up a move to bolster their attack by swooping for one of the French head coach’s key players from the MLS side.
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Nancy is reportedly set to swoop for Columbus Crew centre-forward Wessam Abou Ali to provide him with a proven and lethal number nine at Parkhead for the second half of the 2025/26 season.
The Palestine international scored three goals in five MLS games for Nancy towards the end of the 2025 campaign, per Sofascore, after a £5.7m move from Egyptian giants Al Ahly back in July.
Prior to his almost £6m move to the MLS in July, Abou Ali’s form for Al Ahly in Egypt caught the eye, as he showcased his reliability in front of goal in the Egyptian Premier League.
Appearances
19
16
Goals
18
10
Minutes per goal
76
118
Big chances missed
5
1
Conversion rate
40%
23%
Big chances created
3
2
Assists
4
3
As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old frontman scored a staggering 28 goals in 35 appearances in those two seasons, which shows that he can find the back of the net on a regular basis.
However, it remains to be seen how much money Columbus Crew would want for the prolific striker because they paid almost £6m for him earlier this year, and he has already scored three goals in five league games.
If the MLS side demand a hefty fee that Celtic are either unable or unwilling to pay in the January transfer window, Nancy will have to look at alternative ways to bolster his attacking ranks at Parkhead.
For example, the French boss could unearth his next version of Abou Ali by helping young striker Callum Osmand fulfill his potential when he is back fit and available for selection.
Why Osmand could be Celtic's own version of Abou Ali
The Jersey-born star is currently out with a hamstring injury and a timeline has not been given on his return date, so it remains to be seen when he will be available to the incoming Hoops boss.
With Kelechi Iheanacho and Osmand both missing through injury, Ireland international Johnny Kenny is the first-choice number nine at Parkhead. The young forward has had an impressive run under interim boss O’Neill with four goals in five matches, per Sofascore.
However, it may be the former Fulham youngster who is the most likely to emerge as the star goalscorer of the Nancy era when you consider his record at first-team and academy level to date.
Appearances
150
83
Goals
47
49
Games per goal
3.19
1.69
Assists
11
13
Games per assist
13.64
6.38
As you can see in the table above, Osmand has scored and created goals at a much more impressive rate than Kenny has throughout his career to date, with an exceptional haul of 49 goals in 83 matches.
Whilst the majority of those goals have been at youth level, the 20-year-old star also showcased his quality in the first-team with a poacher’s finish against Rangers in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park earlier this month.
Unfortunately, Osmand then suffered his hamstring injury off the bench against Midtjylland in the Europa League in the very next game, shortly after winning a penalty from which Reo Hatate scored.
The ex-Fulham youngster, who was also hailed as “lightning quick” by Fulham expert Jack Kelly, scored one goal and won a penalty in his first three first-team outings for the Scottish giants, which is an impressive start to senior football for the young attacker.
His exceptional goalscoring record in his career suggests that he has the potential to emerge as a real star for Celtic in the future, once he is back from injury, because he has the quality to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.
Therefore, the summer signing could be unearthed as Nancy’s next version of Abou Ali, who has been a prolific scorer for his last two teams, as another number nine who can provide a lethal presence in front of goal, if the Hoops are unable to get a deal done for the MLS star.
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1 ByDan Emery