Sports
12 Favourites to Replace Wilfried Nancy
It was only one month ago when Celtic confirmed the appointment of Wilfried Nancy as their new permanent manager. Arriving from MLS club Columbus Crew, the Frenchman put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half year deal and inherited the reigns from interim head coach Martin O’Neill.
But since he first took charge at Parkhead, matters have simply gone from bad to worse for the Hoops. Losing his debut against Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, Nancy has won just twice in all competitions since then. And the mounting pressure has gone up a notch in the wake of Celtic’s 3-1 loss in the Old Firm Derby against Rangers.
Despite only inheriting the position a matter of weeks ago, there’s speculation that a change in the dugout could be in the offing. And should the 55-time league champions choose to sack Nancy, the bookies have confirmed who the favourites to come in are.
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Favourites to Replace Nancy at Celtic – 12-6
There’s a proper mix of head coaches running as the outsiders for the potential vacancy at one of Scotland’s biggest clubs. Darren Fletcher just scrapes into the top 12 with odds of 12/1, but as head coach of Manchester United’s under-18 side, he lacks the experience which might have put him among the favourites.
Two international team managers also share similar odds to the former Scotland international. Craig Bellamy is in the running, although it feels unlikely he will desert Wales before their World Cup Qualifying campaign reaches a conclusion. Lee Carsley, though, might be a more likely option, with him impressing during his interim stint as England manager.
Just ahead of the trio in the running is Motherwell gaffer Jens Berthel Askou, who only arrived at Fir Park in July 2025. But he’s done a decent job since then, helping the Steelmen push up the table just behind both Celtic and Rangers, with them the former 2-0 recently.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s managerial career hasn’t gone according to plan since he led Manchester United to a second-place finish in 2020/21. But the Norwegian would be available to start immediately, unlike the remaining two managers who also have odds of 11/1. Scott Brown and Robbie Keane are both in jobs at the moment, but considering their past ties to Celtic, the respective head coaches of Ayr United and Ferencvaros would likely jump at the chance to return to Parkhead.
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Favourites to Replace Nancy at Celtic (12-6) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Manager |
Current Club |
Odds |
|
Darren Fletcher |
Man Utd U18 |
12/1 |
|
Craig Bellamy |
Wales |
12/1 |
|
Lee Carsley |
England U21 |
12/1 |
|
Jens Berthel Askou |
Motherwell |
11/1 |
|
Robbie Keane |
Ferencvaros |
11/1 |
|
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer |
N/A |
11/1 |
|
Scott Brown |
Ayr United |
11/1 |
5
Ange Postecoglou – 6/1
If Celtic are looking for someone who could bring fans together and for someone with the necessary experience to help turn the club’s fortunes around, Ange Postecoglou could be exactly the man they need. During his first stint in Glasgow from 2021 until 2023, he won an impressive 83 matches out of a possible 113, losing just 18 times and collecting two consecutive league titles.
However, the Australian’s recent experience counts against him. Although he did win the Europa League with Tottenham, a disappointing 17th-place Premier League finish was enough to get him sacked. And Postecoglou then only lasted 39 days at Nottingham Forest, marking one of the shortest managerial reigns in the English top flight. Perhaps a return to management would come too soon for him.
4
Kieran McKenna – 11/2
Before they eventually turned to Nancy, Kieran McKenna was heavily linked with Celtic as Brendan Rodgers’ successor. The former Manchester United assistant manager has impressed since joining Ipswich Town in 2021, playing an expansive style of football in the Football League and taking the Tractor Boys to promotion.
While he was unable to guarantee their safety in 2024/25, a return to England’s highest tier seems likely for Ipswich, with them currently second place in the Championship and on track for promotion. Whether McKenna is still there by the time the season concludes, though, remains to be seen, as the bookies once again have him among the favourites to take the Hoops job.
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3
Martin O’Neill – 5/1
After confirming Rodgers’ departure, Martin O’Neill was swiftly confirmed as an interim replacement at Celtic. Having managed the club from 2000 to 2005 and overseen three league triumphs, the Northern Irishman knew the team inside and out and was the ideal man to take over.
His short spell back at Celtic Park was nearly perfect, with O’Neill winning seven out of eight games in charge and helping a struggling team to find some form. He’ll be turning 74 in March, so a permanent return might be unlikely, but a short-term contract until the end of the season would not be a surprise.
2
Kjetil Knutsen – 4/1
Way back in February 2022, Celtic were eliminated from the Europa Conference League by Bodo/Glimt after a 5-1 aggregate result. And now the Hoops’ attention appears to have turned to the mastermind of that result, Kjetil Knutsen.
Now in his eighth season at the club, the Norwegian has since won the Eliteserien on four occasions and was crowned Manager of the Year for three successive seasons from 2019 until 2021. He had been linked with the Celtic job back in November 2025, but would only join under the condition that he saw out Bodo/Glimt’s Champions League campaign. With them currently 32nd on three points and all but eliminated, he might well now be tempted by a change of scenery.
1
Shaun Maloney – 13/8
Ahead of all others, though, is someone who has deep ties to Celtic. Shaun Maloney came through the ranks as an academy graduate, going on to play 209 games for the Bhoys across two spells at Parkhead. That alone would be enough to get him on side with a rapidly fracturing fanbase.
Although the former Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic midfielder hasn’t exactly made waves as a manager during his time with Hibs and Wigan Athletic, he is conveniently placed to take over from Nancy should Celtic elect to make a change. Maloney is currently serving as a development coach and served as interim assistant manager after Rodgers’ departure. It’s little wonder then that he’s the favourite presently.
Odds courtesy of Paddy Power – Correct as of 03/01/2026.
Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Enzo Fernandez situation amid the Argentine’s links with a Chelsea exit. The midfielder became the centre of one of the early transfer sagas this summer after requesting to leave amid interest from Real Madrid, but the World Cup has since taken centre stage.
Fernandez is currently in North America with Argentina, and he is playing a central role, scoring to complete a comeback win over Egypt in the Round of 16 on Tuesday night. The World Cup champions came back from two goals down in the second half to keep their dream of retaining the World Cup alive.
In the meantime, Fernandez continues to be linked with a move away from Chelsea.
Romano issues fresh Fernandez update
According to transfer guru Fabriio Romano, Fernandez is not going to be going anywhere until at least after the World Cup, and even then there will be talks with Chelsea before any kind of transfer progresses.
“Talking about Enzo, the situation will be discussed after the World Cup,” Romano said on his YouTube show. “Nothing will change during the World Cup. The agent of the player, Javier Pastore will talk to Chelsea after the World Cup to try to understand which one will be the best solution for all parties.
“Remember, this story started because Enzo Fernandez and Chelsea were not able to reach an agreement on the contract since the end of November or start of December, so the contract is still a problem between Enzo Fernandez and Chelsea. Then, let me tell you, after the Real Madrid statement, I saw some stories about Man City, but what I am aware, Man City are not in active talks to sign Enzo Fernandez at this stage.”
Chelsea to offload young forward
Meanwhile, Chelsea will be loaning out young talent Jesse Derry, with the young forward set to continue his development at a big club in Sporting CP.
Romano posted on X: “Jesse Derry to Sporting, here we go! Deal done on loan until June 2027, salary covered and no buy option. Chelsea got new deal done for Derry this week and now allow him to leave on loan to Sporting. Derry will return to #CFC in June 2027.”
Derry is a 19-year-old forward who has been impressing with the youth setup, and he has even made a senior appearance. The youngster is the son of former Crystal Palace defender Shaun Derry.
Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright has explained why Argentina’s winning goal against Egypt should not have counted.
Argentina completed a remarkable comeback in their last 16 fixture to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals.
The reigning world champions found themselves on the verge of a shock elimination at the Atlanta Stadium after Mostafa Ziko put Egypt 2-0 up in the 67th minute.
However, two goals in four minutes from Cristian Romero and captain Lionel Messi, who leads the race for the Golden Boot award with eight goals this tournament, turned the game on its head.
Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez then sent the Argentina fans into raptures with the winning goal in stoppage-time.
Egypt Fume After Controversial Argentina Victory
Egypt’s players and coaching staff were furious, convinced they were the victims of a miscarriage of justice following a series of controversial decisions in the second half.
The Pharaohs had a 58th-minute goal disallowed following a foul on Lisandro Martinez at the opposite end of the pitch. They were also convinced they should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Mohamed Salah moments before Fernandez netted the winner.
An emotional Ziko claimed the tournament was “rigged” in favour of Argentina after the match, while Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan was quoted saying:
“They want Argentina and Messi to stay in the World Cup for marketing.”
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Ian Wright Casts Strong Verdict
Meanwhile, ITV Sport pundit Ian Wright offered his verdict on the late drama, arguing Argentina’s third and final goal should have been disallowed.
The 62-year-old believes referee Francois Letexier’s decision to disallow Egypt’s goal earlier in the second half set a precedent that meant Salah should have been awarded a penalty before Fernandez scored.
“That’s what happening with VAR now, they’re pulling it back,” Wright said.
“If you’re going to pull it back for Argentina on the edge of the box to disallow a goal, you have to pull it back for this one with Mo Salah.”
Wright added: “He’s been caught. Whatever we say, it might be minimal, he’s been caught and then they go up the other end.” Watch the clip below:
Wright’s former England teammate and Match of the Day colleague Alan Shearer appeared to be in agreement on X (Twitter). The Newcastle United legend tweeted:
“Either both are fouls or neither is a foul. But they’re not going to re-referee they told us.”
Argentina will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals at the Kansas City Stadium on Saturday night (Sunday, 2am BST). The winners will play either England or Norway in the semi-finals on July 15, back at the Atlanta Stadium.
Manchester United have been linked with a move to sign Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott in the summer transfer window, and Samuel Luckhurst has now provided an update on their pursuit.
The Red Devils are being linked with a host of different midfielders this summer, with Scott believed to be on their list.
Reports have suggested that United have held talks over a move to sign the English midfielder, but Bournemouth are hoping to extend his contract.
Scott has become one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League since his move to the Cherries, and he’s attracting interest from a number of clubs.
United’s priority is to bring in at least one midfielder this summer, and Scott is a name on a lengthy shortlist.
Man Utd: Alex Scott update
Journalist Luckhurst has now provided an update on Manchester United’s move to sign Bournemouth midfielder Scott in the summer transfer window.
The reliable reporter claims that United haven’t ruled out making a bid to sign the English star, despite the Cherries valuing him at £80m.
Scott is now United’s preferred midfield target after missing out on both Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes.
Despite the £80 million valuation, United are yet to formally end their interest, and they remain in the race to secure his signature.
Luckhurst confirms that Bournemouth are looking to tie him down to a new contract, and it’s almost certain that that would include a release clause.
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Man Utd can’t miss out on another target
Understandably, United didn’t want to pay the kind of fees that Tottenham and Manchester City forked out for Fernandes and Anderson.
The Red Devils are looking to be clever with their recruitment in the summer transfer window, understandably.
They are hoping to avoid overpaying for players, but they can’t afford to continue missing out on key targets. They need to bite the bullet at some point.
Whether Scott is the player they push the button on in the summer window remains to be seen, but there is no doubt they need midfield reinforcements to arrive through the door over the coming weeks.
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