Celtic's search for a new manager has been far from straightforward. It was always going to be difficult to pull off in the middle of the season. Many quality options might be of interest to the club, but they are not available. And with every passing day, it seems that the number of candidates are decreasing.
It is a relief that the club have done well since the arrival of Martin O'Neill as the interim manager. The 73-year-old is not a long-term solution though, and sooner or later, the Hoops will need to find somebody else.
There have been some suggestions though that O'Neill could be handed the job until the end of the season. And with the way things are going, that option might be starting to look like an attractive one to many fans as well.
Kjetil Knutsen would have been the preferred choice for many. But it looks like that option is almost completely off the table now.
Celtic handed bad news in search for next manager
As reported by CeltsAreHere, TV2 Sport reporter Espen Langeveld told the outlet that everything points to Knutsen staying where he is. He said:
"The club and Knutsen are talking about a new deal at the moment. And he just said that he thinks they will agree on a new deal soon."
Knutsen has done a tremendous job at Bodo/Glimt since 2018, winning four league titles and getting them some historic results in Europe as well. There had been a feeling that he would have been open to a new experience at the end of his current contract, which is set to run out at the end of this year.
But now, it looks like Knutsen is set to extend his stay at Bodo/Glimt. That is bad news for Celtic. Another quality option seems to be off the table in their search for a new manager. And with this, Wilfried Nancy looks like the outstanding frontrunner for the vacancy.