Wilfried Nancy's success in the MLS has not been able to convince a large section of the Celtic fanbase that he is the right man for the Parkhead job. Their doubts are understandable as well. He has never managed in Europe. Also, there is no guarantee that his style will translate to Scottish football and particularly the Hoops, who have to face low blocks pretty much every game.
Of course, it could turn out to be a repeat of the Ange Postecoglou story. A manager arrives from outside of Europe and transforms the game in Scotland. Both outcomes are possible.
The Nancy to Celtic move appears to have slowed down in the past few days though. The club even officially announced yesterday that Martin O'Neill and Shaun Maloney will continue to be in interim charge until a permanent manager is found. That led to rumours that talks with the Columbus Crew boss had stalled or collapsed.
But as reported by L'Equipe (via Daily Record), 'advanced talks' are pressing on and if an agreement can be struck with Columbus Crew then Nancy's appointment could be announced before the weekend. The MLS side are holding out for around £2 million in compensation.
New Wilfried Nancy to Celtic update amid collapse rumours
If Celtic are convinced that Nancy is the right man for the job then they should not hesitate to meet that compensation fee. Paul Tisdale is believed to be the driving factor behind the move.
It remains to be seen if an agreement can be found or not. Nancy still has a year left on his contract and is a man in demand.
It is believed that three Ligue 1 clubs have approached him in recent times. So, Celtic are certainly trying to bring in a highly-regarded manager despite his lack of experience in Europe.