Celtic are closing in on appointing Manchester City transfer guru Fergal Harkin as their new director of football.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claimed that a deal is now ‘90% done’ following further talks in recent days.

Celtic impressed by Harkin

Football Insider were the first to link Harkin with the newly-created role earlier this month, with his knowledge and experience during 11 years at Manchester City impressing the Hoops.

His current title at the Etihad Stadium is football partnerships manager, but it seems as if he could well be making the move north to play a key role in a Parkhead rebuild over the summer.

Transfer Tavern take

One of Harkin’s first jobs in his potential new role could be to help the club find Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

Football Insider revealed earlier this month that the Hoops were aiming to finalise a director of football appointment before narrowing down their new manager search. The successful candidate would then help to identify the next Hoops manager.

It appears to be an exciting time for Celtic off the field ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and it seems as if Harkin will be a key figure for the club going forward.

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