Ange Postecoglou reaches ‘verbal agreement’ with Tottenham as Celtic boss nears Parkhead exit

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou looks to be nearing his Parkhead exit with Tottenham Hotspur closing in on appointing him as their new permanent boss.

The 57-year-old has been strongly linked with the English Premier League side over the past week and is the leading candidate to replace Antonio Conte after guiding the Parkhead club to a record-breaking eighth treble following a 3-1 win over Inverness Caledonan Thistle in the Scottish Cup at Hampden on Saturday.

Postecoglou is expected to travel to London to open talks with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy today, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reporting the Australian has reached a ‘verbal agreement’ to become their sixth different manager since 2019.

His report also states Postecoglou has agreed an initial two-year deal with the added option of a third, with the Spurs board impressed by what he has achieved during his two seasons in Glasgow’s East End.

Postecoglou has won FIVE out of a possible six domestic trophies since arriving from Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos in the summer of 2021 and has earned extensive praise for his side’s attacking style of play. He was named PFA and SWFA Manager of the Year in each of the last two seasons.

Should the North London outfit agree a deal with the Scottish champions for the switch to be finalised, Postecoglou will be tasked with guiding Tottenham back into European football after they finished a disappointing eighth-place last season - 11 points off the Champions League places.

Various reports also suggest first-team coaches John Kennedy and Gavin Strachan could follow him south of the border this summer. The trio have struck up an impressive relationship and brought huge success to Celtic.