Celtic may already have new manager in their grasp as favourite spotted in stands vs Dundee
Celtic edged past Dundee in their Scottish Cup tie on Saturday and their new manager may have been present in the stands at Celtic Park.
Martin O’Neill’s Bhoys made hard work of the tie against their struggling opponents, and needed a stoppage-time backheel from debutant Junior Adamu to avoid an embarrassing exit from the competition.
Sebastian Tounekti netted the winner for Celtic early into extra-time, as the Glasgow giants eventually clung on to secure a 2-1 win and book their place in the next round.
It turned into a successful afternoon on the pitch for O’Neill and his men, but attention should perhaps have been fixed firmly on who was in attendance in the stands.
Jens Berthel Askou may have been at Celtic as image emerges
Football Insider revealed in January that Jens Berthel Askou “ticks a lot of boxes” for Celtic in their search for a new manager, as the Dane is enjoying an excellent season with Motherwell.
The 43-year-old has since seen his odds slashed by the bookmakers to potentially take the reins at Parkhead when the club’s next appointment is made in the summer.
Berthel Askou is now one of the favourites to take the job at the end of the season, with the likes of Roberto Martinez and Shaun Maloney also seen as strong contenders at the moment.
However, speculation will surely continue to swirl regarding the Motherwell chief, after a screenshot from Premier Sports’ coverage of the Dundee clash that was shared on X appeared to show him taking in the game at Celtic Park.
Bethel Askou appeared to be present in the very right of the image, with Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin also featuring in the centre.
Berthel Askou has continually been strongly linked with the Celtic job in recent weeks, and given that he has now been spotted attending a game at Celtic Park, it is possible that the board already have their new man.
Celtic may already have first signing for their new boss
Celtic have offered a contract to Xaver Schlager ahead of the midfielder’s imminent departure from RB Leipzig at the end of the season.
The Austrian has been a Bundesliga regular in recent seasons across spells with both Leipzig and Wolfsburg, but Celtic have now made it clear that they want to bring him to Scotland next season.
A pre-contract offer is already on the table for the 28-year-old, and the Bhoys are currently understood to be the only team to have made an official approach for him at this stage.
Schlager is due to become a free agent at the end of June, but could agree a move to join the ranks at Celtic Park well before then, especially if he views them as an attractive proposition for the next stage of his career.
The Leipzig star could yet become the first new arrival for Celtic’s new boss, who will have a huge task on his hands if they fail to retain their title this term.