If a report from Gazzetta is believed to be true, Celtic have set an asking fee of around €25m for their in-demand central midfielder Matt O’Riley. AS Roma and Atalanta have shown interest in him with the latter’s initial offer rejected by the Glasgow giants. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano expects the Serie A side to bid again for the Denmark international.
⚫️🔵 Atalanta will bid again for Matt O’Riley after first proposal still not close to Celtic valuation.
He’s top priority also because Juventus are prepared to send their first bid for Teun Koopmeiners.
Koopmeiners, keen on Juve move. ⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/nJuCN7DmQH
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 11, 2024
The 23-year-old former England youth international progressed through the academy ranks of Fulham before breaking into their senior side in August 2017. However, he rejected an extension offer and left the Cottagers in favour of a transfer to League One outfit MK Dons. After over 50 senior appearances in the 2021 calendar year, Celtic triggered his £1.5m release clause and secured his services in January 2022.
O’Riley secured a first-team status soon after his Parkhead move and eventually played a pivotal role in successive Premiership triumphs under Ange Postecoglou. He, alongside Reo Hatae and skipper Callum McGregor, made the job easy for Brendan Rodgers to emulate Postecoglou’s success upon his Parkhead return.
The young Dane is regarded for his ability to orchestrate the show with his box-to-box movements, measured passing and ball-carrying ability from the deep to operate in the advanced areas. He mostly operated as a ‘number 8’ but also slotted in as a deep-lying playmaker occasionally. With 19 goals and 18 assists last season in 49 appearances (stats via Transfermarket) across competitions, O’Riley proved his poaching traits and creative spark in Scottish football.
Why Celtic Might Find It Difficult To Replace O’Riley In Midfield
The Hoops are going slow in terms of transfer activities. A few fringe and forgotten faces are expected to part ways in the coming days, whereas the search is on for a new ‘number 1’ following Joe Hart’s retirement. While the focus remains on bringing Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo back on permanent terms, the egress of O’Riley would disrupt the stability in the middle of the park. Even Bernardo’s return won’t leave the void given the grind and demands of Champions League football.
The Hoops roped in a few project players who failed to leave a mark in the centre of the pitch. Outcast Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Liam Shaw do not have a future, also, veteran James McCarthy has hardly been involved in recent years. Odin Thiago Holm is yet to live up to the expectations and the Bhoys thus must find a worthy successor of their midfield maestro.
