Celtic are believed to be closing in on a deal for Yokohama F. Marinos manager Ange Postecoglou, according to reliable reporter John Percy.

The Lowdown: Howe deal collapses

The Hoops had been linked with a move for Eddie Howe to take over from Neil Lennon for a number of weeks, but that proposed deal collapsed on Friday afternoon.

Stephen McGowan was the first to break the news of a deal falling through after a breakdown in talks, with the Daily Mail reporter adding that the club were in ‘advanced talks’ with another candidate.

It seems as if that man is Postecoglou, with the 55-year-old close to swapping Japan for Scotland.

The Latest: Percy’s late-night claim

Percy shared the news late on Friday evening on social media, saying:

“Celtic in advanced talks with Ange Postecoglou and are tonight close to appointing him as manager. Postecoglou, 55, has been working in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos”

Postecoglou has held roles in Japan, Greece and his native Australia, taking charge of 349 games as a manager. He led the Socceroos at the 2014 World Cup and won the Asian Cup with his homeland the following year.

He has averaged just over three years in each role and prefers a 4-3-3 system, according to Transfermarkt.

[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-4/" title="Celtic updates" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]

The Verdict: Harkin already making moves?

In our opinion, we think Fergal Harkin may have had a major say on a proposed move for Postecoglou. The Irishman is thought to be edging closer to a move to Celtic Park, with the ‘massive’ Hoops fan set to land the newly-created Director of Football (DoF) role.

Currently Manchester City’s football partnerships manager, he may know all about Postecoglou already, as Yokohama are part of the City Football Group.

On that basis, we feel that Harkin, who looks set for a move to Celtic, may have pushed for a move for the Australian following the huge twist in their pursuit of Howe. If that is the case, it seems as if the impending DoF is already making moves at Parkhead.

In other news: Hoops still hold an interest in Scottish Premiership ace, find out who it is here