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Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

Sat 18 April 2026 18:30, UK

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Roberto Martinez has no plans to leave his role as Portugal boss before the World Cup so Celtic will have to wait until late in the summer to appoint him as their new manager.

Martinez’s contract with the Portuguese FA is set to end after the tournament in North America and he could look to return to club management at Parkhead.

Celtic have been linked with making a move for his services, with the likes of Craig Bellamy and Robbie Keane also mooted to potentially succeed Martin O’Neill.

As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Transfer Insider podcast, the Hoops will target Martinez after the World Cup if they have not already appointed a new boss.

It remains unclear if he would be open to being Celtic’s next manager, as he has not managed at club level since leaving Everton in 2016.

Celtic will not be able to appoint Roberto Martinez until after the World Cup

Martinez is currently priced at around 4/1 odds to be the Hoops’ next boss by one of the UK’s biggest bookmakers, with Keane the favourite at odds of 9/4.

The World Cup starts on 11 June and ends on 19 July, so if Portugal make their way to the final under the 52-year-old, then he may not be available until close to when the new Premiership season starts on the first weekend of August.

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: “Obviously, I think right now all his focus is with Portugal ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

“But after that, if he wants to make a return to club management, I’m sure if there’s any chance that Celtic could get him, it’s something they would definitely look into.

“If Martinez is interested in a move to Celtic, they really have to do everything they can to try and convince him to make that move.”

Celtic could be forced to sell Benjamin Nygren this summer

Martinez will need assurances from the Celtic board that they are set to back him in the transfer market throughout August if he does join as their new boss.

He may not be able to have a say in the future of key man Nygren, however, as he attracts attention from Premier League clubs ahead of the summer window.

Sources have told Football Insider that Celtic could be forced to accept offers for Nygren if they are close to their likely asking price of around £20million, especially since he was signed for just £1.7m last summer.