May 20, 2026 7:13 PM

Some bad news has been confirmed for Celtic as they head towards the end of the season.

Celtic will be looking to bring in a new manager this summer. Martin O'Neill has done a phenomenal job over his two interim stints this season. And if the club had stuck with him all the way through instead of bringing in Wilfried Nancy for that 8-game spell, it is very possible that they might have been playing for the treble this weekend.

It is what it is. O'Neill has exceeded all expectations anyway. He has guided a weak Celtic squad to the league title when all hopes had seemed lost. And he chose the most thrilling way possible as well, winning it on the final day of the campaign. Let's see if he can do the double against Neil Lennon's Dunfermline Athletic.

It would be an understatement to say that Celtic will have a tough time replacing O'Neill. They did try and fail with Nancy already.

O'Neill has not completely ruled out the possibility of staying on yet. That being said, he has mentioned more than once how these games take a physical toll on him these days.

After all, O'Neill is 74 years of age. At this point, it might be time for a less active role. It would be wonderful if the club kept him around in a behind-the-scenes capacity to help whoever the next manager turns out to be.

One of the managers who had been suggested as a replacement for O'Neill is Jens Berthel Askou, after he enjoyed a tremendous campaign with Motherwell.

Not only did Askou's side finish fourth, but they also played a great brand of football along the way that would go down well at Parkhead.

Unfortunately, Celtic are not the only club to have taken note of Askou's qualities. He is drawing interest from the French top flight as well. In fact, things have taken a step further.

According to BBC Sport, Toulouse have made an official approach to Motherwell. They want to appoint Askou as their new head coach.

The report does go on to state that negotiations are currently ongoing between Toulouse and Motherwell. But nothing has been agreed upon when it comes to Askou.

Toulouse are a mid-table side in Ligue 1. So, if Celtic want to make a move, they might need to move quickly. And even that might not be enough to convince Askou about joining the Hoops any longer.

Of course, Askou would have a much higher chance of winning things at Celtic. But there are plenty of managers who would pick the chance to manage in a top five European league over that.

Also, one has to note that there are some reports recently which have suggested that Robbie Keane is ahead of Askou in line to be the next manager of Celtic. If correct, then the club might not be too bothered about the Toulouse news.

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