Former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is the clear frontrunner to take over from Ange Postecoglou at Parkhead.
Rodgers won all seven major Scottish trophies he competed for during his first spell as Celtic boss and completed an unbeaten campaign during his debut season back in 2016-17 - and has set himself a high bar to surpass should a deal get over the line. The Parkhead hierarchy have already held talks with the former boss and majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has stepped in to try to seal a return for the manager to the Scottish champions.
Rodgers' decision to leave for Leicester City midway through a campaign has been heavily criticised by some sections of the Celtic support but the mood music appears to be changing as an appointment edges closer. While the Northern Irishman would be taking over an all-conquering side, that does still come with some issues for the boss, while he will have his own goals of improving on his previous stint.
And there are plenty of hurdles he will need to overcome as soon as he steps in the door. Record Sport takes a look at the list of issues on the agenda.
Winning over the fans
First things first, it's safe to say that Rodgers didn't leave Celtic Park on the best terms the last time. The Invincible Treble-winning boss departed halfway through the 2018/19 season when Leicester City and a return to the Premier League came calling.
His decision to bow out came at a crucial stage of the club's quest for 10 In A Row left a lingering anger with supporters, and Rodgers has repeatedly stressed he understood why. He now has the chance to put any fan fury behind him should he grasp the opportunity to step into the hot seat.
He will needs wins, and he will need trophies. But the first press conference could go a long way to winning back some of the irked punters.
Backroom team decisions
The battle of the backroom team looks set to spill over into Brendan Rodgers' time in charge. Trusted right-hand man Chris Davies followed him to Celtic last time, but it's unlikely he'll take on the Scottish Premiership again as the Welshman looks set to step out on his own at Swansea City.
The means a tug of war between Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou to land John Kennedy. Postecoglou wants to take his former No 2 to Tottenham with him, but Celtic are set to fight any attempts to lure the long-serving assistant away.
Kennedy was at Rodgers’ side as he swept all before him in Scotland and the Northern Irishman is reportedly desperate to keep the former Celtic defender on his bench. The backroom team will be high up in the list of emails and phone calls Rodgers is making should he rubber stamp his Parkhead return.
Holding onto key players
Whenever a manager makes a move, they are expected to take some of their players with them. Rodgers will be desperate to avoid any players following Postecoglou to Tottenham.
Kyogo Furuhashi has been tipped to rival Harry Kane for a place in the starting line-up in the Premier League next term, while Reo Hatate, Matt O'Riley and Daizen Maeda have also been touted with a move elsewhere following Postecoglou's departure. Rodgers will be desperate to keep the core of the Treble winning spread together with a focus next season on impressing in the Champions League group stage. Speaking of the Champions League...
Making an impact on Europe
Brendan Rodgers' record in Europe is perhaps the only blemish on his first spell in Glasgow's east end. He kicked off his first stint with a 1-0 loss to Gibraltarian minnows Lincoln Red Imps, but the Hoops would go on to make the group stage.
Celtic finished bottom of their group despite impressive draws home and away with Manchester City. A heavy 7-0 defeat to Barcelona set the tone for an early exit from Europe's elite competition.
They would reach the group stage again the following season, but Rodgers’ side ran into Neymar and PSG dominated. They ran up an aggregate score of 12-1 as the Ligue 1 side blew them away - with two defeats to Bayern Munich seeing Celtic finish bottom once again.
Celtic fans were excited to see Angeball take Europe's elite competition for a second time. However, Rodgers will have to show his passing play can silence the doubters and secure Euro progress.
Keeping Rangers at bay
Brendan Rodgers would be walking into a team that has just won the Treble, and he will have to maintain those high standards next term. He previously dominated Rangers during his time in Scotland - and Michael Beale will look to change that.
The Londoner is revamping the squad with three players already in the door. After Ange Postecoglou's success, Celtic fans won't accept a dip in standards from their next boss and Rodgers will be working out how to maintain the advantage over the Light Blues when he takes his familiar seat in the manager's office.
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