Matt O’Riley, a midfield player, is supposedly going to command a Scottish record transfer fee from Celtic this summer. Several Premier League teams are keeping a close eye on the playmaker, who has been strongly linked to leaving Celtic Park this summer.
With 13 goals and 11 assists in 31 Scottish Premier League games thus far this season, O’Riley has made an impression and his performances have not gone ignored in Europe. Atletico Madrid made a proposal for the 23-year-old during the January transfer window, but Brendan Rodgers’ team swiftly rejected the offer.
O’Riley was a target for Atletico on a loan with a £18 million buyout clause, but Celtic balked at losing any of their star players in the middle of the campaign. But The Hoops anticipate receiving new offers this summer for their No. 33.
Atletico Madrid is anticipated to “revive” their interest in O’Riley after the season, while Girona and Inter Milan will also be keeping a close eye on the circumstances surrounding the former MK Dons star, according to The Mirror.
O’Riley is reportedly coveted by several Premier League teams, with Manchester United’monitoring’ the midfield player since 2022. However, Celtic will not let their star player go for peanuts.
In order to part with O’Riley, the Scottish powerhouses will seek a sum of money beyond £25 million, making this the most expensive transfer sale in SPFL history. Celtic will seek to surpass the £25 million they previously received for the sales of Jota to Al-Ittihad and Kieran Tierney to Arsenal.
O’Riley, who has acknowledged that transfer rumors had an impact on him in the weeks following the January transfer window’s closure, will be anxious to maintain his composure and make sure he can leave Celtic on a good note. “To be completely honest, the first two or three games after the transfer window mentally was a slight challenge because I felt somewhat of a bit of added pressure on my shoulders, just slightly,” the former Fulham star said in his explanation. However, I then realized that I wasn’t really sure why I was placing further strain on myself.
“There wasn’t really anything I needed to adjust. I sort of moved past that and concentrated on my contributions to the team. It slid back into position. Even if a season is successful, there will always be a new obstacle to overcome. Bids are fantastic, of course, but if you don’t view things correctly, they could also work against you, so that’s something more to keep in mind moving forward.
