According to the latest reports from The Express’ live transfer blog (7:46), Celtic have been snubbed by both Roberto Martinez and Andre Villas-Boas. The duo were linked with the top job at Parkhead, and Martinez was even made one of the odds on favourite by Paddy Power. However, after the recent update, one can more or less be sure that neither would be arriving at Glasgow next season.
Martinez’s agent Jesse De Preter made the situation clear and said: “Roberto always seems to be on the shortlist as soon as there is a vacancy at a big club. But this is a false rumour about him going to Celtic.”
It was always going to be tough for the Hoops to lure the Spanish manager given that he is currently the manager of the Belgium national team. The Red Devils are one of the best national teams around at the moment, and they proved their worth in the 2018 World Cup by finishing third. With Euro 2020 just a year away, it was a bit surprising to see the Spaniard being linked with Celtic.
Why Martinez could have been a decent bet?
The former Everton manager is known for his attacking brand of football. Given the talent which Celtic have, he could have made them a really exciting team to watch on the pitch. However, Martinez has often been blamed for being too naive with his tactics as he sometimes disregards defensive stability. But after the recent World Cup with Belgium, it is clear that he has learned from his mistakes.
Coming to Andre Villas-Boas’ situation, his agent Jean-Paul Lares said: “Andre will not be working in Scotland in the foreseeable future and will not be available for comment.”
The Portuguese boss has been away from football management since late 2017 as he tried to pursue his other dream of becoming a car rally driver. He might be looking for a way back into football management by the next season, but it is clear that it is unlikely to happen with Celtic.
Why Villas-Boas would have been a decent bet?
Villas-Boas achieved unprecedented success with Portuguese heavyweights Porto as he won the Europa League with them and swept the league by more than 20 points. The manager has got some experience of managing top clubs like Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, and he could have come in with some fresh ideas at Celtic Park.
With two managers more or less pulling out of the race, it is becoming more and more clear that Neil Lennon will take the top job next season.
