Manchester City are bracing themselves to receive an approach from Celtic for assistant manager Enzo Maresca, reports Football Scotland.
The Hoops are without a manager after Ange Postecoglou switched Parkhead for Tottenham Hotspur today.
Celtic want a replacement as soon as possible with pre-season starting next month.
They interviewed Maresca back in 2021 before opting for the Australian.
The 43-year-old Italian coach impressed Hoops majority shareholder Dermot Desmond at the time.
Celtic have continued to keep tabs on Maresca and have been impressed with his growth.
The former midfielder joined Parma in Serie B after failing to get the Hoops gig, but he was fired six months later.
Maresca returned to Man City last June to work directly with Pep Guardiola as Juanma Lillo’s replacement.
He was their under-23s manager in 2020-21, helping them land the Premier League 2 title.
Maresca has played his part in helping Man City retain the title and land the FA Cup.
The Premier League champions are eyeing a first-ever Champions League triumph, and the Celtic target is currently concentrating on that.
Southampton approached Maresca a few weeks ago but he turned them down.
Celtic plan to initiate talks once Man City end their campaign on Saturday, but he is unlikely to be the only one on their radar.
Postecoglou won the domestic treble before leaving for Spurs, and the Scottish Premiership club need someone capable of successfully defending all three trophies next term.
They will also be keen to impress in the group stages of the Champions League after securing a spot.
However, it remains to be seen whether Maresca has what it takes to take them to the next level.
