Celtic eye David Moyes return as Everton ownership uncertainty clouds his future

Celtic have identified David Moyes as a leading candidate to become their next permanent manager, according to journalist Alan Nixon, with the Scottish champions moving to exploit growing uncertainty surrounding Everton’s ownership.

The Friedkin Group, who completed their Everton takeover less than two years ago, have placed the club up for sale — a development that has left Moyes openly frustrated. Speaking last week, the 63-year-old admitted the American consortium’s swift exit caught him off guard. “Yeah, I was surprised, they only came in a year and a half ago,” Moyes said. “Most owners come in for a lot longer than that. We were all expecting them to be here for 20 to 30 years, however long it may be. But maybe the way things worked out over the transfer window, I probably had seen through it a little bit before that.”

The summer transfer window compounded Moyes’ difficulties on Merseyside, with Everton finishing the period with the Premier League’s thinnest squad after selling key players late in the window. The prospect of steering the club through a protracted takeover process adds further uncertainty to his position.

At Celtic Park, the situation is also in flux. Martin O’Neill returned to the dugout to provide experienced interim stability, but the 74-year-old was never considered a long-term solution, and the Hoops board are now actively mapping out a permanent succession plan.

Moyes carries strong personal ties to the club. He came through Celtic’s youth ranks as a defender between 1980 and 1983, earning a Scottish Premier Division winner’s medal under Billy McNeill. Despite more than two decades managing at the highest level in England — including spells at Everton, Manchester United, West Ham, and Sunderland — he has never taken charge of a club in his native Scotland.

The appeal of the role is clear. While Everton’s realistic ceiling in the current climate is mid-table Premier League survival, Celtic offer consistent title challenges, domestic cup runs, and European football as a baseline expectation. For a manager at 63 navigating boardroom instability, the prospect of winning silverware at his boyhood club represents a markedly different proposition.