Dermot Desmond has pushed back his crunch talks with Martin O’Neill until next week, leaving Celtic fans in the dark about who will manage the club next season.
The Hoops’ principal shareholder is also expected to meet with potential alternative candidates to the 74-year-old in London during the same week.
O’Neill led Celtic to a Premiership and Scottish Cup double, but questions remain over whether his time in the dugout has come to an end.
Robbie Keane has emerged as the bookmakers’ favourite, currently priced at evens, having previously been linked with the Parkhead hot seat before Wilfried Nancy’s tenure.
Keane spent six months on loan in Glasgow from Tottenham in 2010 and has recently left Ferencvaros, with Slovan Bratislava also reportedly tracking the Irishman.
Former Tottenham teammate Teddy Sheringham has backed Keane for the role, saying: “I am sure Robbie is already on Celtic’s radar, whether it will be to offer him the job now or in the future. I do not know if the time is right for him now, but Robbie Keane will be Celtic manager one day.”
Craig Bellamy, priced at 5/1, has been reported as a Parkhead shortlist candidate, though the Welshman has declared his commitment to leading Wales to Euro 2028.
Bellamy previously played for Celtic on loan in 2005, scoring seven times in 12 appearances, but his national team duties appear to take priority over any club role.
Roberto Martinez is also priced at 5/1 and holds a long-standing relationship with current Parkhead No. 2 Shaun Maloney, who has been heavily linked with a new sporting director role at the club.
Martinez was coy about his future after naming the Portugal squad for the World Cup, stating: “Does my continuity in the national team depend on the World Cup? I don’t think so. I’ve already spoken about this. The focus is on the World Cup, our dream is to get there and give everything.”
Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen remains a fan favourite and is priced at 6/1, though he reiterated his commitment to the Norwegian side last month.
Knutsen said: “When a team does well, there will always be interest around it. You have to learn to handle and live with that. At the same time, it emphasises how good we are at Glimt.”
Thomas Frank is available after his stint at Tottenham did not work out and is priced at 10/1, with pundit Pat Nevin touting the Dane as a potential Parkhead candidate.
Nevin said: “Thomas Frank’s available and I have to say although it didn’t go well for Spurs, I think that was a very Spurs problem. I actually don’t think his credibility’s suffered too much.”
Oliver Glasner has rocketed up the betting to 12/1 after winning the Europa Conference League, though the outgoing Crystal Palace boss focused on celebrations rather than his future, saying: “Everything I say today will be wrong tomorrow.”
Belgian boss Nicky Hayen, currently in charge at Genk, is priced at 16/1 and previously dropped a hint that Celtic would interest him during his time at Club Brugge.
Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy is the dark horse at 25/1, with reports in Wales suggesting he met owner Vincent Tan in Malaysia to discuss next season’s plans despite links to Celtic, Middlesbrough, and Burnley.
Kieran McKenna rounds out the list at 33/1, with reports suggesting the Ipswich Town boss is ready to rebuff any approaches and focus on another Premier League campaign with the club.
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