TONY Mowbray has emerged as Celtic's number one target to take over from Gordon Strachan.

Derek Davis

TONY Mowbray has emerged as Celtic's number one target to take over from Gordon Strachan.

The Bhoys want to talk to the former Ipswich Town defender today but West Bromwich Albion are reluctant to allow him to leave, although compensation of around �1.6m has been mooted to ease the move.

Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace has not been making it easy for Celtic to start negotiation by being difficult to contact for permission for him to hold personal terms talk with the SPL giants.

The 46-year-old is married to Amber, a former Ipswich hairdresser who is expecting their third child, is on a family holiday in the south-west at the moment but is believed to be keen to discuss his future with both Celtic and West Brom.

Mowbray joined Hibernian as manager from Ipswich Town after serving the Blues as a play-off final winning centre-half, coach and caretaker manager. He took the Hibees into Europe before being lured, with his assistant Mark Venus, to West Brom.

They went up to the Premier League as champions last year but were relegated after just one season.

But his style of football, coupled with his legendary status at Celtic Park, has made him a strong candidate to take over the Bhoys.

Newly-promoted Burnley boss Owen Coyle and Mark McGhee are also in the frame but it is understood majority-shareholder Desmond Douglas wants Mowbray.

Celtic had tried to get Swansea boss Roberto Martinez, with a �1m compensation deal discusses, but it seems the Spaniard is still a target for Premier League side Wigan and more likely to go there if the clubs can agree a deal and personal terms are finalised.

Although Roy Keane has been linked with the Parkhead vacancy, he is not been targeted by Celtic so far.