Celtic have taken a major hit in the race for their next manager as target Jens Berthel Askou has had an official approach made by Ligue 1 side Toulouse.
With three different managers taking the helm at Celtic this season, Brendan Rodgers, Wilfried Nancy and Martin O'Neill, there is pressure on the Hoops to get things right this time. O'Neill has done a fantastic job since coming in across both of his terms, ending the season winning the Celts' fifth consecutive Scottish Premiership title, so all eyes will be on his replacement to get immediate success.
One manager proven domestically in Scotland is Berthel Askou. He has been the bookies' favourite for a while, and fans are relatively happy with him being on the shortlist. He has turned Motherwell into a competitive side this season, and their fans will be gutted to lose him. Sadly, he may be on his way to mainland Europe instead of Parkhead.
According to The Herald, Berthel Askou was added to Toulouse's three-man shortlist to take over as their manager earlier this week. On Wednesday, discussions kicked off between Toulouse and Motherwell for their manager, but as things stand, there is no agreement in place yet.
Berthel Askou would replace Carles Martinez Novell, who is leaving after three years in charge. His side finished 10th in the league this season, and they are looking for a manager who has 'overperformed' this campaign. The Danish coach certainly fits that bill.
Their sporting director said: "We have a shortlist, with French and international names on it. We hope to announce the name as soon as possible. We’ve already conducted interviews.
"The future manager must be very dynamic, very positive, aware of the expectations of the thousands of fans who are waiting for goals. He must be someone who can work with young players and bring new ideas. We need to have a coach who has overperformed with modest means and that knows how to develop players."
Could Celtic lose out on Berthel Askou?
It'll be a massive blow to the Hoops if they lose out on Berthel Askou. That would mean that they would likely have to settle for Robbie Keane, whose side just lost out on the league title in their division. The possibility of appointing Keane is already a divisive subject among Celtic supporters, so things could get heated should he be given the job.
According to an STV journalist, he is actually the leading candidate. Other names are being floated around, like Martin O'Neill staying and Roberto Martinez joining after the World Cup, but nothing is concrete as of yet.
But if the Celts want any chance of Berthel Askou making the move to Glasgow, they need to pray that he rejects the offer from Toulouse. If he does, they need to act quickly, because he is a man with many admirers.
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