Ange Postecolgou has been asked if he’s been offered the chance to become Celtic’s new manager by reporter Dan Orlowitz.
The Lowdown: A busy few days…
Celtic’s search for a new permanent boss has taken plenty of twists and turns in recent months, however, the last few days have been manic.
The Hoops were thought to be closing in on Eddie Howe, only to see a deal dramatically collapse on Friday afternoon due to budget, backroom staff and personal issues.
Hours on from the development, Celtic were thought to be in advanced talks with Postecolgou, who took charge of Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos on Sunday.
The Latest: Postecolgou’s response
Postecolgou guided Yokohama F. Marinos to a 2-1 win over Shimizu S-Pulse to take the club 15 points behind leaders Kawasaki.
As to be expected, he was asked about a potential move to Scotland after the game. This is what Orlowitz posted on Sunday morning, admitting the 55-year-old refused to comment on a move to Parkhead and insisted he was focused on his role with Yokohama F. Marinos.
“BREAKING: In response to my questions, Ange Postecolgou won't comment on whether or not he's been offered Celtic job, says he's focused on his current job at Marinos.”
The Verdict: Not a surprise…
It’s not a shock to see Postecolgou batting off any questions regarding Celtic without a real answer.
It seems as if he may well be the man in the Celtic Park hot seat next season, though, and a deal for the Australian could prove to be a huge gamble by the Hoops board.
Fergal Harkin, who looks set to become the club's new director of football, maybe the driving force behind a move for Postecolgou. Yokohama are part of the City Football Group, so Harkin, Manchester City's football partneerships manager, likely knows him very well.
Considering Howe appeared to be Celtic’s main target for a number of weeks, a move for Postecolgou has appeared to gather pace quickly, but after the Howe disaster, the new candidate keeping his cards close to his chest is a good thing.
The Hoops have reportedly been tracking Postecolgou for months, so it seems as if they know just what they’ll be getting, however, it’s obvious he was never the club’s first choice, so it’ll be interesting to see how he may fare in Scotland.
In other news: Celtic still hold interest in Scottish Premiership ace, find out more here.