Celtic's Manager Search: Keane Talks and O’Neill's Future

The summer hasn’t even caught its breath in Scotland, but the big clubs are already moving pieces on and off the pitch.

Celtic: Keane talks and O’Neill question

At Celtic, the search for a new permanent manager has moved Robbie Keane to the front of the conversation. The former Republic of Ireland striker has held what have been described as constructive talks over the vacancy, with more discussions pencilled in for this week.

This is no casual sounding-out. Celtic want clarity and direction quickly, and Keane, who retains strong ties with the club from his playing days, is being treated as a serious contender.

Over all of it looms Dermot Desmond. The principal shareholder plans to sit down with interim boss Martin O'Neill to gauge how he sees his future and whether he has an appetite to remain at the club in some capacity once the new structure is in place.

O’Neill’s presence, even as a short-term stabiliser, has given Celtic supporters a familiar figure to cling to during a turbulent spell. Desmond’s conversation with him will shape not only the dugout dynamic but the broader football operation around whoever ultimately takes the job. Keane’s prospects, and the tone of any new era, may hinge on how that relationship is defined.

Rangers: Skoglund in their sights

Across the city, Rangers are working on a different kind of rebuild.

The Ibrox club have opened direct contact with the representatives of Hammarby right-back Hampus Skoglund. The 22-year-old, contracted to the Swedish side for another three years, fits the profile of a long-term project rather than a stop-gap.

Rangers’ move to engage his camp this early signals intent. A right-back with years left on his deal in Sweden will not come cheap, and the club knows it will have to be persuasive to bring him to Glasgow. Still, this is the type of targeted recruitment their support has been demanding: younger, with resale value, and capable of growing into the shirt rather than simply filling it.

If Rangers can push this one over the line, it would be an early marker in a window where they cannot afford to stand still.

West Ham: shopping in Scotland

Further south, West Ham United are turning their gaze firmly towards Scotland as they prepare for life in the Championship.

The London club have made an initial enquiry about Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan. At 23, Mulligan offers energy and room to grow, the sort of profile that fits a side looking to recalibrate after relegation and build a squad capable of handling the grind of a 46-game league campaign.

West Ham are not stopping there. They are also monitoring Celtic centre-forward Callum Osmand. At 20, Osmand is viewed as one of the more promising young attacking talents in the Scottish champions’ ranks.

There is a problem for West Ham, though: Celtic are highly unlikely to part with him. With a new managerial structure incoming and a squad already facing potential change, the champions are in no mood to lose a striker with Osmand’s upside.

So the picture sharpens. Celtic weighing Keane and O’Neill, Rangers pushing for Skoglund, West Ham circling Mulligan and Osmand. The window has barely opened, yet the Scottish game already sits at the heart of some of the summer’s most intriguing moves. Who blinks first will say plenty about where power and ambition truly lie heading into the new season.