Celtic major shareholder Dermot Desmond now set for London talks with Brendan Rodgers
EXCLUSIVE: Celtic’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond is now set for London talks with Brendan Rodgers over a stunning return to the club to replace Ange Postecoglou
- Former Celtic manager Rodgers has held talks over a return to Scotland
- Maresca, Farke and Knutsen are alternative names under consideration
- Rodgers left Celtic to manage Leicester in the middle of the 2018-19 season
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Brendan Rodgers will sit down with Celtic’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond in London to discuss a return to Parkhead.
As Mail Sport first revealed, chief executive Michael Nicholson and finance director Chris McKay spoke to the Northern Irishman on Saturday after flying by private jet to Mallorca where Rodgers owns a home. The 50-year-old left Leicester City in April and planned to take a lengthy break from football.
However, following positive talks with the club where he won seven trophies between 2016 and 2019, he will now travel to London to meet Desmond before reaching a final decision. Former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou wants John Kennedy to sign a four-year deal at Tottenham Hotspur, with the Parkhead assistant manager keen to work in English football.
Should Rodgers agree to a second stint at Celtic, he would ask the former Scotland defender to remain as the team prepare for another Champions League campaign and the defence of their title.
The former Liverpool manager is now the short-priced favourite to succeed Postecoglou, although the club have held a number of conversations with potential candidates.
Celtic have held talks with former manager Brendan Rodgers over a stunning return
Little-known Italian Francesco Farioli is the latest name to emerge. The 34-year-old has been linked in style to Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi having worked under him at Benevento and Sassuolo in their homeland.
More recently, Farioli has been working in Turkey at Fatih Karagumruk and Antalyaspor, where he has been praised for his commitment to attacking football — despite not boasting much of a playing pedigree himself.
His compatriot Enzo Maresca will speak with Manchester City about his future this week.
Rodgers will sit down with Celtic’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond to discuss a return
One of Pep Guardiola’s trusted assistants, the 43-year-old is understood to have talked to Leicester about their vacancy, with his preference to remain working in English football.
Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen remains a possibility for Celtic after talks between the 54-year-old and Ajax broke down.
Former Norwich manager Daniel Farke is also believed to have spoken with Celtic. But David Moyes is out of the running after committing his future to West Ham.
