Dermot Desmond fails Celtic yet again Jens Berthel Askou edges closer to deal

Dermot Desmond is under heavy pressure this summer to get the appointment of Celtic’s next manager right.

With Martin O’Neill set to depart the Hoops after the Scottish Cup final, all eyes are on who will replace the 74-year-old.

Jens Berthel Askou has been heavily linked to the position after he guided Motherwell to a fourth-place finish in the Scottish Premiership in his first campaign at the club.

However, his feats this season haven’t just been noticed by the Old Firm club, with Toulouse now eyeing an appointment.

If this comes about, it will be a massive Celtic failure, as they miss out on one of the division’s most promising coaches.

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According to The Herald on 20 May, Askou is on the three-man shortlist to take over as Toulouse manager this summer.

Their manager, Carles Martinez Novell, is set to depart the Ligue 1 club at the end of the season after leading them to a 10th-place finish.

As a result, there is a massive chance that Askou takes over at Toulouse this summer, meaning Celtic will miss out on the 43-year-old.

If this occurs, Desmond will have completely failed the Hoops yet again.

Askou is no doubt one of the most exciting managers the club has been linked to ahead of the summer, with him constantly going toe-to-toe with the Old Firm sides throughout the 2025-26 campaign.

Therefore, for him to go elsewhere is a massive concern and once again showcases Desmond’s incompetence.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that Roberto Martinez could be tempted to join Celtic.

The current Portugal National Team manager may be tempted to make a summer move to Parkhead with the promise of some “top-class” signings.

Their Scottish Premiership title victory has also put the Hoops in an excellent position to lure the former Everton boss over, with the club now just one tie away from the Champions League’s league stage.

However, it remains to be seen who Celtic will look to appoint in the summer, with many other coaches also linked to the role over the past few months.