Football
Exclusive: Under-Fire Celtic Boss Wilfried Nancy Eyes Middlesbrough Midfielder Aidan Morris in Last-Throw Transfer Plea
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy is desperate to sign Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris, his former player, in a bid to turn around the team's fortunes. However, the potential transfer faces hurdles including Nancy's tenuous job security and Middlesbrough's reluctance to let go of an integral player.
Leeds United vs Middlesbrough Carabao Cup by NurPhoto | Getty Images
Under-fire Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy will implore the Glaswegian giants’ owners to sign midfielder Aidan Morris from Middlesbrough if he is allowed to remain in charge, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
Only eight games after being appointed, Nancy is already clinging to his job with the 55-time Scottish champions by a thread after they surrendered a 1-0 lead during last weekend’s Old Firm derby before losing 3-1 to bitter rivals Rangers.
Although he has cut a defiant figure in public, insisting that results will soon change, the Frenchman privately concedes that his position could become untenable unless there is a quick upturn in form.
And that has led him to call for Morris, who he worked with at former club Columbus Crew, to be spirited north of the border at the earliest possible opportunity.
The USA international was among the most influential members of the squad Nancy led to MLS Cup success before both men headed to the UK, remaining a passionate advocate of his former coach’s methods.
With many of The Hoops players either unable or unwilling to grasp them, Nancy is desperate to resurrect their partnership following the 24-year-old’s recent return from injury.
A number of factors, including the situation at Celtic and Middlesbrough’s push for promotion from the Championship, have added a potentially devastating layer of complexity to Nancy’s plan, though.
Middlesbrough will be desperate to keep hold of Morris, but with growing Premier League interest in his midfield partner Hayden Hackney, who is yet to sign a new deal, Boro could face difficult decisions in the months ahead.
INTEGRAL
After immediately recalling Morris upon his return to fitness, new Boro chief Kim Hellberg will be loath to part company with someone who is an integral part of his own plans moving forward.
Nancy’s perilous position has also diminished his own leverage and negotiating power with The Hoops hierarchy which, combined with the fact Hellberg’s employers have no need to cash in only 18 months after signing him for £4m, could put Morris beyond their price range.
Middlesbrough spent a reported £4m to acquire the midfielder’s services in the summer of 2024 and he subsequently became the 1,000th person to represent them at professional level.
Morris has since made 57 senior appearances for the Teesside outfit, having also been capped 13 times by his country.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.