Dermot Desmond has reportedly held talks with Robbie Keane as Celtic step up their efforts to appoint their next permanent manager.
Former Republic of Ireland striker Keane appears to be in a two-way battle with veteran Martin O'Neill to lead the Hoops into next season.
After meeting with Keane to discuss the vacancy, Desmond, Celtic’s largest shareholder, is expected to hold a further conversation this week with O’Neill.
The Hoops have been in a state of managerial flux for much of the past year, with O’Neill summoned to step into the breach twice following the departures of Brendan Rodgers in October and Wilfried Nancy in January.
Assisted by the younger duo of Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham, the 74-year-old took charge of eight matches on an interim basis last autumn and then returned to take the reins from January until the end of the campaign, solidifying his status as a hero in the eyes of Celtic supporters by leading the team to an unlikely double.
While it was widely expected that O’Neill would be stepping aside this summer to make way for a new manager, he is still under consideration by the Parkhead hierarchy.
Much is likely to depend on whether he has the appetite to lead Celtic into a new campaign.
O’Neill, who had previously been out of management since leaving Nottingham Forest in 2019, said after pipping Hearts to the title on a dramatic final day that the campaign had "taken its toll" on him, although he has never fully closed the door on staying on.
The emergence of Keane – who left his role as Ferencvaros boss last month – as the main alternative to O’Neill has been met with hostility among some supporters.
The 45-year-old, who had a fruitful 16-goal loan stint at Celtic in the first half of 2010, was heavily criticised in his native Ireland for choosing to stay in Israel as manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv following the outbreak of war in Gaza in 2023.
Celtic supporters are traditionally aligned with Palestine and a statement was released on Tuesday by the Celtic Fans For The Liberation Of Palestine (CFLP) group opposing the potential appointment of Keane.
It said the Irishman’s "decision to manage Maccabi Tel Aviv during the genocide in Gaza is impossible to ignore" and that "at a time when Celtic requires unity and collective purpose, this appointment would be deeply divisive among the support".
Keane has just completed a 17-month stint as boss of Ferencvaros, where he won the title in his first season and then finished second behind Gyor in his only full campaign at the helm.
The former Wolves, Leeds, Tottenham and Liverpool forward led the Hungarian side to the last 16 of the Europa League, where they were eliminated by Braga in March.
Prior to taking charge of Tel-Aviv three years ago, Keane had a brief stint as manager of Indian side ATK in 2018 before assistant coaching roles with Middlesbrough, Ireland and Leeds.
Celtic will kick off their William Hill Premiership title defence at the beginning of August before the first leg of their crucial
