Eddie Howe is not worth the hassle.

That's the view of former Celtic ace Davie Provan. The pundit reckons the Hoops should turn their attention elsewhere as their pursuit of the former Bournemouth boss has become EMBARRASSING.

Provan points to the amount of time Howe has had to consider his options having left the Cherries last season. He has been a free agent for some time now and Provan believes the deal to make him Celtic's new manager could - and perhaps should - have been done at a faster pace.

He reckons Howe has all the bargaining chips and could make the club look bad in a potentially "humiliating" climb down if he does not become their new man in charge despite recent reports claiming he had all but put pen to paper on a deal.

Writing in his Scottish Sun column, Provan held nothing back. "If I were Dermot Desmond, I’d have crossed Eddie Howe off my wish list by now. After fantasy talk of Rafa Benitez and Roberto Martinez, Celtic have been left chasing the former Bournemouth coach.

"The pursuit of over-hyped Howe has become embarrassing. Out of work for nine months since the Cherries’ relegation, this shouldn’t have been a complicated appointment. Particularly when we’re told the persuasive Desmond has met with Howe.

"Instead, it’s becoming a saga that could end up humiliating Celts. Howe was supposed to be a done deal with his backroom team already picked and ready to join him in Glasgow. Instead, the ticking of the clock gets louder.

"How silly will Celts look if Howe knocks them back now? I wouldn’t be giving him the chance — he’s had enough time to make a decision.

"Supposedly one of the game’s deep thinkers, I’d imagine Howe has done his homework on Celts and Scottish football. And his buddy Brendan Rodgers would have marked his card. You can bet Rodgers emphasised the upside of Peter Lawwell’s imminent departure from the club. Unlike Neil Lennon, Howe would be allowed to pick his own coaching staff.

"The downside of the job is our Premiership. The Scottish game is viewed with contempt in England.But for a guy who’s never bossed in Europe, the Celtic job is a top gig. But just when Hoops punters expected to see Howe take his bow, his agent says: “There has been significant interest in Eddie from a number of clubs.

"Talks of any deal being close are premature. His plan is to not return to management until the summer at the earliest. Is Howe really that much of a catch? Is he using Celts as leverage to land another job in England?

"Bottom line is Celtic don’t have a day to waste if they’re to be ready for next season. And if Dominic McKay can quit Murrayfield early to start work, why not jobless Howe?"