Strasbourg are closing in on the appointment of Gary O’Neil after reaching an agreement in principle for the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager to take charge of the Ligue 1 side.
The 42-year-old is poised to succeed Liam Rosenior, who has departed the French club after emerging as Chelsea’s preferred managerial option. With both Strasbourg and Chelsea operating under the BlueCo ownership group, the transition has progressed swiftly, enabling Strasbourg to move quickly in securing a new head coach.
O’Neil has been out of work since leaving Wolves in December 2024 and had attracted interest from several clubs in England. However, Strasbourg—currently sitting seventh in Ligue 1—have presented him with an immediate opportunity to return to management. Discussions held over the weekend reportedly resulted in an outline agreement, with only final details left to be concluded.
If completed, the move would represent O’Neil’s first managerial role outside England. Strasbourg have increasingly leaned on Premier League experience in recent years, with former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira previously holding the position. Rosenior, appointed in July 2024, led the club into the UEFA Conference League before his departure.
O’Neil began his coaching career at Liverpool as part of the club’s backroom staff before moving into management with Bournemouth. He was named caretaker manager in August 2022 following Scott Parker’s dismissal and was later confirmed in the role, guiding the Cherries to a 15th-place finish in the 2022–2023 Premier League season. Despite achieving safety, he was relieved of his duties in June 2023.
He subsequently took charge at Wolves, leading them to a 14th-place finish in the 2023–2024 campaign. His spell at Molineux ended last season, with the club eventually preserving their Premier League status under Vitor Pereira.
Any possibility of a return to Wolves has now been firmly dismissed. O’Neil recently pulled out of talks regarding the vacant head coach position, despite early discussions following Pereira’s dismissal. Sources familiar with the process told The Athletic that O’Neil did not feel the role was the right fit at this time.
Wolves remain in search of a new manager after a difficult run of form that has left them bottom of the Premier League table. Erik ten Hag, Rob Edwards and Michael Carrick are among the candidates being considered, while James Collins and Richard Walker are currently overseeing first-team duties on an interim basis.
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