NEIL LENNON has suffered a setback in his attempt to bring top talent spotter John Park back to Celtic.
The interim manager could lose out in his bid for the scout with Championship hopefuls Sunderland poised to offer a five-year contract to the man credited with bringing the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama to the club, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Head of Recruitment Lee Congerton quit Parkhead on Friday to be reunited with former Hoops gaffer Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City.
Park, who was chief scout at the club between 2007 and 2016, was reported to be Lennon’s choice to return to the post if the Irishman landed the manager’s job on a permanent basis following his interim appointment in February.
However, it looks as though his priority target in a planned rebuild of the squad is about to be given a key role as the new Director of Football at the Wearside outfit who are managed by ex-St Mirren chief Jack Ross.
The Stadium of Light club’s owner Stuart Donald is at an advanced stage in talks with investors over surrendering control of the the League One outfit.
Park has been identified with overhauling the football operation which would leave the champions searching elsewhere for a successor for Congerton.
