Rumoured Celtic target Fergal Harkin to stay with Manchester City, reports

Celtic’s transitional summer has seen the search for a new manager and the suggested targeting of a director of football to head up a new-look structure under CEO Dominic McKay.

Celtic face a summer of change at Parkhead. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

While the pursuit of Eddie Howe fell last week and talks are now said to be ‘advanced’ with Australian coach Ange Postecoglou, reports suggest that the club will not be turning to Manchester City partnerships manager Fergal Harkin for the new technical role.

The Irishman’s name has been one frequently linked with Parkhead, but reports now claim he will stay put at the Etihad campus.

According to the Irish Independent, talks had previously been held but no job offer was made – nor was one courted by the 44-year-old who is keen to continue his job with the English Premier League winners and Champions League runners-up.

Another name linked with a position in the new Parkhead structure is Shaun Maloney, with the Daily Record suggesting the Belgium coach and two-time Celtic winger could be involved with Ange Postecoglou’s set-up with talks ongoing between the Yokohama F. Marinos manager and the Glasgow side. The former Australia and Brisbane Roar boss is now the leading name in the frame and odds-on with the bookmakers following the collapse of the deal taking Eddie Howe to Celtic which dramatically came to a head last week.

Englishman Howe is now one of the favourites to take over at Everton – his boyhood favourites – if Goodison Park boss Carlo Ancelotti moves to Real Madrid as Zinedine Zidane’s replacement at the Bernabeu.

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