Celtic next manager: Highly-rated Dutch coach 'added to list' of candidates by Parkhead board

Pascal Jansen is the latest manager to be linked with the Celtic job following the departure of Ange Postecoglou to Tottenham.

The list of candidates to replace the Australian in the Parkhead dug-out is growing by the day with current AZ Alkmaar boss Jansen, known for his attractive brand of attacking football, now reportedly under serious consideration for the vacancy.

The Scottish Sun claim that the 50-year-old has been included on a list of possible Postecoglou successors drawn up by the Celtic board after he guided AZ to a fourth-placed finish in the Dutch top flight as well as making a run to the Europa Conference League semi-finals, where they were beaten by eventual winners West Ham.

Celtic could face competition for Jansen if they were to make an approach with both Ajax and PSV Eindhoven also said to be weighing up a move for their Eredivisie rival as they seek permanent replacements for Alfred Schreuder and Ruud van Nistelrooy respectively.

Pascal Jansen, head coach of AZ Alkmaar, is said to be on a list of candidates for the Celtic managerial vacancy. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Jansen, who retired early from playing due to injury, spent his early career coaching in the Netherlands at Haarlem, Vitesse and Sparta Rotterdam, and in the United Arab Emirates with Al Jazira and Al Wahda. He also worked as a coach at PSV and was manager of their youth team before moving onto the coaching staff at Alkmaar in July 2018 before being promoted to manager in December 2020.

Enzo Maresca, Brendan Rodgers, and David Moyes remain the bookies favourites to become the next Celtic manager, with talkSPORT host Alan Brazil claiming to have insider knowledge.

He said: "I think I have maybe a wee bit of inside information here. I don't want to put people on to putting a £5 on it. Do you know who is going to have a big say and this is going to astonish you - Pep Guardiola. Pep, he will have a massive say as he and Dermot Desmond are very close.

"It's Enzo Maresca, I've got it, on good authority. I do know that Brendan Rodgers is odds-on favourite but it is interesting, Pep's associations with Dermot. Dermot is a very clever guy."