Ange Postecoglou tells Celtic he wants to become the new Tottenham boss

Ange Postecoglou has let Celtic know he wants to become Tottenham Hotspur’s next manager.

And the Australian is keen to have trusted Parkhead aide John Kennedy join him in North London.

The English Premier League side will make a formal approach to Postecoglou on Monday.

He took Celtic’s eighth treble at home with a 3-1 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final.

And Mail Sport understands that the 57-year-old director informed colleagues, including major shareholder Dermot Desmond, of his desire to join Spurs on Saturday evening.

The Australian head coach has become a fan favorite at Celtic Park since joining in 2021

A debriefing is scheduled for today for football department staff to discuss the Treble-winning season. It is clear that Postecoglou will not be present now.

He was appointed on a rolling 12-month contract in June 2021 and has emphatically refused to rule himself out to succeed Antonio Conte after the London club failed to secure previous targets Julian Nagelsmann and Arne Slot.

Spurs now hope to complete a deal after clearance has been granted and final talks have taken place, with Postecoglou going on holiday with his family tomorrow. Celtic will now begin compiling a list of candidates to become the next manager.

Captain Callum McGregor believes Celtic’s players must be prepared to be ‘flexible’ pending developments.

Spurs have been without a permanent boss since the sacking of Antonio Conte in March

The midfielder has worked with four different managers since his first-team breakthrough in 2014 and has won five Trebles in the past seven seasons. While he was confident Celtic have the broader foundations for continued success, he praised Postecoglou’s contribution.

Speaking after Saturday’s final, the 29-year-old said: “Of course you want to keep good managers who are at the club.

“He’s done such a great job. The turnaround since he came in has been incredible. People probably didn’t foresee that this would happen so soon. But he’s a guy who’s super confident. He knows what it means to be with this football club.

“It means bringing success and he managed to do it in such a great way.

“Of course, selfishly for us, we want to keep him. You never know how football works. One thing about football is that you have to be flexible.

Spurs tried to bring in Arne Slot (left) and Julian Nagelsmann (right) but failed on both counts

“If it happens, what a parting gift (with the Treble).”

When asked if the current team could achieve more no matter what, McGregor continued: “Yeah, exactly. The club is in a very good place. Next season we will be in the Champions League again, so that is immediately attractive.

“The players have been together for 24 months now and have really built something based on success. We are going to enjoy the summer and, as I said, in football you have to be flexible.

“There is always speculation and people are always linked to other jobs if they do well. It shows that the players have done a good job for him and that he has done a great job for the club. That compliment is always nice.’

Celtic sealed their final domestic clean sweep – taking five out of six trophies under Postecoglou – with Saturday’s 3-1 win at Hampden. Now at 20 winners’ medals, McGregor’s winnings include clinching the Treble in five separate seasons.

Callum McGregor said Celtic needed to be ‘flexible’ given the uncertainty over their boss’s future

“It’s fun,” he admitted. “But I don’t think that happens when you’re not in a hugely successful football club where winning is the culture.

‘We have managed to build that up in recent years. When you are a young kid and you play football, all you want is to win.

“I am so lucky and fortunate to have been able to play at a winning club and be a part of that success. It is something I am extremely proud of. It’s been a successful career so far, but you just want more.’

Celtic won the League Cup with a final victory over Rangers in February before sealing the league title with four games remaining.

McGregor said: “The competition gets tougher and tougher every year and this was arguably the toughest it’s been.

Postecoglou could be a big loss for Celtic after leading them to the treble this season

“We’ve had to endure all the tough tests and have shown great character and played some exciting football along the way.

“This team, to do the Treble, deserved it.”

McGregor will soon join the Scotland squad as preparations begin for critical Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Georgia.

“I will enjoy the next few days, but soon my attention will turn to Scotland and then next season,” he added.