Charlie Austin has said that he believes the deal to bring Eddie Howe to Celtic Park is ‘sorted’ and that the club are holding off an announcement as they target Scottish Cup success under John Kennedy. The Queens Park Rangers striker, who played under Howe at Burnley, told Go Radio Football Show that he believes that a deal to bring the Englishman to Glasgow has been agreed but it is being kept under wraps as not to distract the players from the imminent task of retaining The Scottish Cup.
“I think they’ve got it sorted. They’re not going to come out and say Eddie Howe is gonna be the manager or they’ve got someone else lined up ASAP.
“It wouldn’t surprise me that the day after the season or two days after they announced the manager. It really wouldn’t.”
Howe is the favourite to become the next Celtic manager but after a flurry of news reports claiming a deal was ‘verbally agreed’, the chatter calmed down and was replaced by a fear that a deal was not forthcoming. However, Austin believes that the club are holding off until the end of the season so that they can focus on finishing the league campaign and the Scottish Cup before a new boss comes over and they can start afresh.
“Maybe because he wants to get the season over and done and start afresh so it’s not John Kennedy’s team, it is not Neil Lennon’s team and it is not the old guard.
“Celtic would have had their ideas what they’re going to do in the summer.
“Eddie will have his plans already in place in what he’s going to do during the summer.
“If he’s to come in and be the head coach for Celtic as soon as the seasons finished, then they start afresh and the real rebuild from day one after the season’s finished. So it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what’s going on.”
Howe is out of work after leaving Bournemouth in the summer. He is being courted by a number of English Premier League sides but Celtic are the favourites to bring him in as a manager to replace Neil Lennon, who left in March.
