Source: Team_Talk
Baggies rubbish Mowbray move talk
Mowbray has been installed by the bookmakers as favourite to succeed Gordon Strachan, who resigned in the aftermath of the Bhoys losing out to Rangers in the SPL title battle.
Celtic - and their majority shareholder Dermot Desmond - are understood to be weighing up whether to make a formal approach to secure the services of Mowbray, who spent four years with the club as a player in the early 1990s.
The 45-year-old is still respected and admired at Parkhead - not only for his performances as a player but for the way he handled the death of his first wife Bernadette through cancer.
He also created a favourable impression during his spell in charge of Hibernian before quitting to take charge of the Baggies two and a half years ago.
But Albion have issued a statement reiterating they anticipate Mowbray being at the helm for the 2009-2010 campaign.
It read: "Tony Mowbray is under contract for the next two years and we fully expect him to be our manager next season.
"Further than that, the club feels there is no need to comment on speculation."
West Brom would seek compensation of around £1million if Mowbray was prised away.
Mowbray still has two years left on his contract and Celtic would have to pay double the reported compensation figures of £500,000 for his services - if Albion chairman Jeremy Peace agrees to allow him to leave.
He led the Baggies to promotion from the Championship during his first full season in charge at Albion 12 months ago.
But West Brom were then instantly relegated from the top flight for the third time in seven years at the end of this season.
Mowbray has retained the support of the majority of the Baggies supporters as he refused to compromise his beliefs and continued to play a passing game despite poor results.
But the former Middlesbrough and Ipswich central defender discovered last week that he must trim the size of his senior squad for next season from 31 to 20 players.
And he has been told by Peace that there will be no new funds available for transfer dealings as he looks to reshape his squad.
Mowbray has publicly insisted he is happy with the parameters he has to work within at Albion.
