Celtic have insisted that they would not stop Arsenal approaching Brendan Rodgers following the announcement that Arsene Wenger will be leaving the club in the summer.
Wenger will end his 21-year tenure in charge of the Gunners at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, with former Liverpool boss Rodgers one of the favourites to replace the Frenchman.
And the Scottish Premiership side, who could win the title this weekend, have insisted that they wouldn't put "handcuffs" on the Northern Irishman over a potential approach from the north London club.
Celtic's majority shareholder Dermot Desmond told Sky Sports: "Absolutely. I don't think you can put handcuffs on anybody if they want to go to a club as good as Arsenal. It will be Brendan's decision and his decision only.
"I'm glad he's the favourite. He's an outstanding person. We wouldn't want him to leave but we won't force him to stay. Hopefully, his love for the club and the setup here will induce him to stay at the club.
Rodgers has won four trophies so far in what is his second season in charge of Celtic and when asked about the Arsenal job on Friday, he insisted he remains committed to his current employers.
Wenger himself, meanwhile, has previously claimed that former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira has the potential to one day take over at Emirates Stadium.
