Brendan Rodgers has made it clear that the current interest in Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley does not meet the club’s valuation, saying that no offers have come close to their £25 million price tag.
The 23-year-old Danish midfielder has caught the attention of several European clubs, including Atalanta and Southampton, both of which have had their bids decisively rejected by Celtic.
In an interview with Sky Sports ahead of the Scottish Premiership season opener against Kilmarnock, Rodgers spoke about the valuation disparities often faced by clubs like Celtic from smaller leagues when negotiating with teams from more prestigious leagues. Drawing on his extensive experience in the English Premier League with clubs like Liverpool and Leicester City, Rodgers highlighted a common undervaluation issue.
But Rodgers commended O’Riley’s professionalism, saying the whole saga has been easy because of the player’s attitude.
He said: “It’s actually been straightforward with Matt because he’s such a great professional.
“I think what is always the challenge for teams coming to a team like Celtic is that they can place a value on the league and not the player. I’ve already told the club that.
“We all understand the model here – players will come in and develop. It’s not a club that you have to move on from, but there are riches in other leagues much richer than ours that allow players to go and improve the conditions of their lives.
“We all understand that, but it’s really important that if a player does leave here we are paid for the value of the players, and that’s sometimes something that can not happen.
“Sometimes a value will come in that’s a lot less. I’ve worked in the Premier League, I understand the levels there and the players’ value. No player will leave unless it’s for the right valuation. At this point in time, there’s been no team that’s been anywhere near it.”
It’s good to see the club standing firm on their valuation, with the bids received so far frankly laughable.
