Celtic Back O’Neill While Kieran McKenna Emerges as a Summer Target

A reported £8 million compensation and contractual protections around McKenna make an immediate approach unlikely and shift any move toward the summer if Celtic change manager.

Overview

Celtic’s board publicly reaffirmed support for Martin O’Neill after a poor run of results, with chief executive Michael Nicholson saying the club will back the manager and players.
A run that included two defeats to Rangers and a Europa League loss to Ferencváros has driven fan anger and prompted quiet contingency work on potential successors.
Kieran McKenna is widely discussed as a leading long‑term candidate because of his record at Ipswich and previous interest from Celtic.
Ipswich are reported to hold contractual protections and a roughly £8 million compensation clause linked to McKenna, a cost and legal hurdle that makes a mid‑season appointment unlikely.
If O’Neill departs the club would probably pursue a planned summer appointment, while Celtic face practical risks such as needing to block January exits and manage player unrest during any transition.