CELTIC are prepared to wait until after the weekend before they make a move for a new manager.
The champions will seek Ange Postecoglou’s replacement as a matter of priority and Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca is reported to be a leading contender.
The Greek-Australian could see his shift to London ratified today after apparently accepting a two-year deal with a 12-month option as the long-awaited successor to Antonio Conte who was sacked in March.
SEEING DOUBLE…Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola.
Forty-three-year-old Maresca was among the frontrunners for the Hoops post back in the summer of 2021 before the club opted for Postecoglou. However, the Italian has remained in the Parkhead side’s focus.
The highly-rated coach coached the City Under-23 squad before a short-lived spell as Parma boss in 2021. He rejoined the Etihad outfit and is seen as a vital member of Pep Guardiola’s technical staff.
However, the Hoops hierarchy will have to put any moves for Maresca on hold until after City’s Champions League Final against Inter Milan on Saturday evening in Istanbul.
Once the champions get the green light, they will ramp up the managerial hunt.
Maresca recently rejected interest from Southampton before the south coast club were eventually relegated from the top flight.
Guardiola is on record as saying the former Juventus star will make an “extraordinary manager” and wouldn’t stand in his way of becoming a No.1 in his own right, according to a report in the Daily Record.
Maresca has also had spells as an assistant at West Ham and Sevilla before his six-month spell at Parma in 2021.
