Celtic midfielder Neil Lennon believes Martin O'Neill "owes it to himself" to leave for a club like Manchester United if the Parkhead board fail to back his ambitions.
The Irishman has again been linked with a move to Old Trafford and is said to have been earmarked by United's major shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus as the man they plan to replace Alex Ferguson with.
"If you are talking about Manchester United or Liverpool, who are going to be challenging for honours not just in Britain, but in Europe, and you look at the prestige that goes with it, I know if I were in Martin's shoes I'd certainly be tempted to do it," said Lennon. "I think Martin owes it to himself to have a crack at it elsewhere at some stage.
"Ultimately, if it can't happen for him at Celtic, why not? I think he is respected, not just in Britain, but in Europe, as one of the best managers around.
"In an ideal world, if Martin had the backing (of the board) with money to spend to make a real challenge in Europe, or if Celtic were to play in England, I think there's no doubt he would stay in Glasgow for as long as possible.
"My own take on it though is that he'll eventually think, 'okay, enough is enough'. I think he'll say, 'I've run my course here, now it's time for another crack in England or possibly abroad'."
Meanwhile, Henrik Larsson has revealed that he turned down a move to Manchester United to stay with Celtic - but it is unlikely he would do that now with the state of the Scottish game.
The prolific striker will finally sever his links with the Glasgow giants this summer after seven years of service.
But as he waits for clubs - ideally Spanish - to come knocking, the former Swedish international lifted the lid on Alex Ferguson's bid to sign him in the 1998-99 season.
"There were teams interested in me but I was settled here," explained Larsson. "I can now say that it hasn't been the wrong decision because Celtic have developed into a really good team. From what I heard back then yes (Manchester United were interested) in my second season here. I wasn't tempted at the time."
Larsson is saddened by the rapid financial decline of Scottish football which sank to a new low earlier this week with Livingston's plunge into administration.
"It's very sad what's going on here because it's very important that the game is on a high and show the rest of the world that it's not as bad as everybody makes out.
"But now with the finances the way they are it's very bad to attract players. They don't know where the game is going to go from here. I could say it is a good time to be going.
"But it's a little bit sad they have let it go as far as it has. If I knew all the circumstances it would make me think twice (about coming to Celtic)."
Surprisingly, Larsson has revealed that no Spanish clubs have been in for him yet and he is refusing to rule out a move to the English Premiership in the summer.
"I'd like to go to Spain or somewhere where it's warm - not for a holiday but to play and enjoy my football. It would be lovely to play in a warm climate, but I wouldn't shut my door on that (Premiership).
"I will have to wait and see what comes up. I haven't made a decision yet. Apparently I signed for Newcastle as well as Real Mallorca - but I still live in Glasgow."
Dominic Fifield
Manchester United are to test their occasionally fractious relationship with Chelsea by requesting the co-operation of their former chief executive Peter Kenyon as part of an ongoing internal investigation into their transfer policy.
Kenyon, who left Old Trafford amid bad feeling in September to take up a similar position at Chelsea Village plc, will be asked to give evidence to the inquiry led by United's finance director Nick Humby. The investigation will attempt to convince the major shareholders, John Magnier and JP McManus, that the club has been run according to corporate governance guidelines.
Along with Kenyon, who took up the reins at Stamford Bridge only last week after a prolonged period of "gardening leave" in accordance with his United contract, Humby is to question up to 20 agents, including Alex Ferguson's son Jason, as he scrutinises 15 transfers to and from United involving 13 players.
Two of the moves in 1998 - the purchase of Jaap Stam from PSV Eindhoven and Massimo Taibi from Venezia - pre-dated Kenyon's arrival at the club. But Magnier and McManus are unimpressed that United appeared to have paid over the odds for players such as Rio Ferdinand, who cost £29.1 million from Leeds, and the Portuguese teenager Cristiano Ronaldo, £12.24 million from Sporting Lisbon.
Humby, who joined United only two years ago and has had minimal involvement in many of the deals in question, will present his findings to the shareholders. But gleaning information from Kenyon could put further strain on relations with Chelsea, with United having previously made it obvious that they resented losing their chief executive of three years to the west London club.
Lawyers for Cubic Expression, Magnier and McManus's investment company, were yesterday examining United's formal response - a seven-page document, with six extra pages of attachments - to their 99 questions posed to the plc board. This reply did not address any individual agents and detailed little more than the various committees responsible for different areas of the plc and their role in the everyday running of the club.
Meanwhile, Bradford City's manager Bryan Robson, a former United captain, has said that Ferguson would be "lost without it" should the ongoing dispute ultimately force him out of United.
"I talk to Sir Alex quite a bit and he copes with all this type of thing well," said the former England captain. "There's no truth about his son and agents and all this. He has nothing to worry about."
United yesterday announced a significant number of their plc's shares have been traded.
The Old Trafford club announced to the Stock Exchange yesterday morning that Legal & General Group "and/or its subsidiaries" have acquired over eight million shares, a stake of 3.11 per cent.
United have been beset by takeover rumours in recent months with the likes of Magnier and McManus and American football magnate Malcolm Glazer increasing their stakes.
Further movement of shares, especially in the light of the row between McManus and Magnier, and Ferguson over racehorse Rock of Gibraltar, is likely to heighten that talk.
United's share price rose markedly immediately before and after yesterday's announcement.
