JOHN KENNEDY is in the frame to become Celtic’s sporting director.
SunSport understands the Hoops want interim boss JK to work closely with top target Eddie Howe who remains on course to become Neil Lennon’s permanent successor this summer.
Manchester City’s Fergal Harkin also remains under consideration for the sporting director role.
It now appears unlikely Bournemouth technical director Richard Hughes will be heading north.
That will be a big blow for Howe, but it’s not thought to be a deal-breaker for a Parkhead switch this summer.
It’s been a month since the ex-Cherries boss met Hoops supremo Dermot Desmond, chief executive Peter Lawwell and his successor Dominic McKay in London.
Celtic fans excited over the prospect of Howe being appointed have started to grow restless over the lack of news.
But he has spent that time speaking to contacts in the game and doing his homework on the Hoops.
Howe, 43, has been quietly planning his backroom staff, with current Bournemouth coaches Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone prominent in his thinking.
The identity of those who come in to improve the recruitment department is also vital to Howe’s plans to transform the club.
He’s keen to have key assistants committed to joining him before official confirmation of his move north.
Desmond has promised him substantial transfer resources and full authority over his staff.
It’s expected that Howe will have a £2million-a-year salary.
The board also values Kennedy, 37, who has been at Parkhead since 1998. He went from player to coach, to No 2 and is now stand-in boss.
JK was in the frame to become director of football while Brendan Rodgers was boss in 2019.
Kennedy will stay in charge for the final three games against Rangers, St Johnstone and Hibs.
With a new boss coming in, he had indicated he could decide it’s finally the right moment for him to head elsewhere.
Asked last week if that could be a possibility Kennedy, a one-time Hibs target, confessed: “Yeah, it might.
"But I’m genuinely not stressed about what the future holds for me.”
Now the future looks set to involve a step upstairs and a key role in a new-look football department at Parkhead.