Celtic considering move for “unbeatable” 4-2-3-1 manager

Celtic have just under two weeks to find their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead before the end of the international break.

Martin O’Neill has been in interim charge for the last four matches in all competitions, winning three of them, but he may have managed his last game for the club if they can find a permanent head coach in the coming days.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph recently claimed that Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy has emerged as one of the contenders to replace Rodgers in Glasgow.

Celtic considering move for title-winning manager

The French MLS head coach is not the only name under consideration during this international break, though, as they are also looking at a title-winning boss who would be an upgrade on Nancy.

According to Sky Sports, Celtic have drawn up a shortlist that includes several of the usual suspects, including Nancy, Kieran McKenna, Craig Bellamy, and Kjetil Knutsen.

The report claims that Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen is also one of the tacticians on their radar, as they consider who they want to replace Rodgers this season.

It remains to be seen who they will decide to pursue as their number one target, at this moment in time, but Hayen could be a much better option than Nancy for the Hoops.

Why Nicky Hayen would be a better option than Wilfried Nancy for Celtic

The 4-2-3-1 head coach could be an upgrade on the Columbus Crew manager for Celtic because of his experience in European football and his superior domestic performances.

Per Transfermarkt, Nancy has averaged 1.70 points per game over 169 MLS matches in his career. He also ended the 2025 campaign with a points per game average of 1.59, winning 14 and losing eight of his 34 games.

Meanwhile, per Transfermarkt, Hayen has averaged 2.00 points per game across 83 matches as Club Brugge’s permanent manager, after averaging 2.21 points per game in 14 outings as their caretaker before landing the permanent job.

The Pro League boss, who was described as “tactically unbeatable” by one scout on X, has also won three trophies, including a league title, since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

Meanwhile, Nancy has won one trophy, the MLS Cup, since the start of 2023, which suggests that Hayen would be the better option out of the pair when looking for domestic success in the Scottish Premiership.

As you can see in the table above, the Club Brugge head coach has also had success on the European stage, going further in the Conference League and the Champions League than Rodgers ever did across his two spells at Parkhead with Celtic.

These statistics suggest that Hayen would help the Hoops to compete on the European stage, as he has proven that he can coach at that level, whilst Nancy has only ever coached in the MLS and has no prior experience in the Europa League, Conference League, or Champions League.

Therefore, the Club Brugge boss could be a much better option for the Scottish giants than Nancy, because their respective careers suggest that he has a higher chance of being a success domestically and on the European stage.