If you thought Celtic were close to the appointment of Eddie Howe then think again.
This has been a tired old saga but the Hoops still aren’t in a place where they can announce his arrival at Parkhead.
That’s despite now being in talks with the 43-year-old for six weeks.
What’s the word?
Howe is still very much at the centre of Celtic’s thoughts with talkSPORT revealing last week that a deal had been agreed.
However, according to the Daily Record, any sign of an announcement in the early stages of this week won’t be forthcoming.
They report there won’t be any news to the London Stock Exchange on Monday with their sources seemingly adamant that he won’t become the new Hoops manager in the first few days of the week.
The newspaper pinpointed Monday 17th May as a landmark day in their chase for Howe with the Premiership season concluding a day before.
Though, for the time being, John Kennedy remains in interim charge.
More setbacks for McKay
The incoming CEO has only been at the club for a matter of weeks but he’s already tasted the rather hopeless atmosphere that’s surrounded Paradise all season.
Howe has kept Celtic waiting now for well over a month, issuing a number of demands to the club’s hierarchy.
First, he didn’t want to return to football until the summer before it was suggested he wasn’t keen on Fergal Harkin becoming their new director of football.
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It’s thought Howe has now loosened his stance on the matter but problems surrounding his backroom staff still lingers.
McKay will be eager to get this move through the door as quick as possible. With Celtic’s season finishing, it means the focus needs to switch from on-field matters to off-field recruitment.
The top brass in Glasgow cannot achieve that without a first-team manager in place, however.
When a deal actually occurs is anyone’s guess but it could be that Howe is waiting on the result of Bournemouth’s play-off charge.
The Cherries are competing for a spot in the Premier League and will face Brentford in the semi-final first leg this on Monday. The second leg takes place on Saturday 22nd before a potential final awaits them on Saturday 29th May.
Howe is keen to bring Simon Weatherstone and Stephen Purches with him from Bournemouth but they need to wait until their season has finished for talks to conclude.
As a result, we are unlikely to receive any formal announcement this week.
The soul-destroying aspect is that Purches and Weatherstone are not guaranteed to come to Glasgow. After all, if the south coast side are promoted, picking up jobs in the top-flight of English football could be more appealing to them,
The frustrating and tiresome wait goes on for McKay and the club’s supporters.