Brendan Rodgers latest: Premier League club to tempt Celtic boss into early exit
Brendan Rodgers’ long-term future at Celtic has become a major concern for the club with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Rodgers’ side have endured a difficult start to the season after being knocked out of the Champions League and have now fallen five points behind Hearts in the SPFL.
Football Insider revealed on 21 October that Celtic are still eager to extend Rodgers’ deal despite their questionable start, but it may not be so straightforward.
Ongoing protests against the Celtic board have created turbulence behind the scenes, while frustrations over their transfer policy have left the manager frustrated.
As a result, Football Insider revealed Celtic’s contract talks with Rodgers have not progressed as hoped, and there is a growing feeling he could leave.
Premier League clubs to lure Brendan Rodgers away from Celtic
Football Insider revealed on 17 October that Premier League clubs are interested in Rodgers’ availability and will be placed on alert should he leave at the end of his contract.
However, there is now a belief that the boss could be tempted to walk away from Parkhead before his deal expires, should an English club come forward with a strong offer.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Rodgers is now considered unlikely to remain at Celtic beyond this season.
“I think it’s safe to say Rodgers hasn’t been happy recently,” he told Football Insider.
“He wanted backed from the board and the board weren’t prepared to put their hands in their pockets.
“All of a sudden, they’re knocked out of the Champions League and falling behind in the league.
“It gives me the feeling that things could collapse there at any stage, and if Rodgers got an offer from the Premier League, he’d walk away and take that job.
“He’s not getting the backing of the board, things aren’t going to smoothly on the pitch, and there are all the issues going on with the fans [protests] at the moment as well.
“I can’t imagine it’s a particularly positive environment to be in, so he could be tempted away.
“Obviously, that will depend if there are any clubs in England who want to bring him in, but I don’t think it’s a certainty he’ll be there until the end of his contract.”
Rodgers was linked with the Nottingham Forest job before they opted to go ahead with Sean Dyche’s appointment, but interest could now grow from elsewhere.
Ange Postecoglou backed to replace Rodgers at Celtic
Football Insider exclusively revealed on 21 October that Ange Postecoglou is a candidate to replace Rodgers should he decide to leave Celtic at the end of the season.
Postecoglou was sacked by Nottingham Forest on 18 October following a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, having taken charge of just five Premier League games.
However, Postecoglou enjoyed two very successful years in charge of Celtic before leaving in the summer of 2023 to join Tottenham, and remains very highly-rated at Parkhead.
It remains to be seen whether Postecoglou would return to Celtic, but after having so much success in his first spell he would definitely consider the option.
With Rodgers’ future uncertain, Postecoglou would be an extremely popular replacement among the fanbase should they convince him to make a return.
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