After a standout 2023/24 season, Celtic’s Matt O’Riley is a wanted man this summer.
The Danish midfielder registered 37 goal contributions in the campaign gone by as he won his team’s Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Players’ Player of the Year awards.
The 23-year-old had the season of his life and was key as the Hoops won the double upon Brendan Rodgers’ return to the club.
O’Riley has not been short of potential suitors who want to prize him away from Celtic this summer; clubs such as Atletico Madrid, Inter, and Roma have been linked. Southampton are not quite up there with the grandeur of those sizeable European sides, but having just gained promotion to the English Premier League, they have access to wide riches.
And to sign O’Riley, they will need to utilise them. Indeed, according to The Times (via RecordSport), Celtic have slapped a £30m price tag on the attack-minded midfielder’s head but that is “unlikely to deter” the Saints. They are interested in O’Riley and want to sign him this summer.
After guiding the South Coast side back to the EPL, Russell Martin wants to reunite with the Dane. The Scottish manager briefly worked with O’Riley at MK Dons and was keen to bring him to Swansea before Celtic swooped.
While a reunion with Martin and the chance to play in England’s top flight may tempt O’Riley this summer, Brendan Rodgers will hope another year of winning trophies and playing Champions League football can convince him to stay put.
Would have thought that Oreily could attract better opportunities than Southampton imo?
Wouldn’t say a 30M price tag would be much of a deterrent for clubs within the 5 top European leagues either, especially as such an opportunity must be in the making for Oreily within his career imo?
Yet we still have guaranteed CL football on offer, with more Scottish success for ourselves in the making also?
So wouldn’t say we are totally out of the picture with keeping hold of Oreily, especially from a player who regards his career so highly, possibly moreso than the money factor imo?
We also know that in Rodgers, Oreily has moved forward as a player, and such a pivotal player in Rodgers set up with ourselves.
Would Oreily get such a position elsewhere within the teams in bigger leagues?
Hard to say, but probably wouldn’t be as central to a teams set up, as Rodgers has used Oreily to date with ourselves imo?
Course the guessing games will continue regarding the future of Oreily, and sadly think we have a job on our hands to keep hold of him imo?
If that deal should eventually happen, then expect a large chunk of any potential money to be reinvested within a possible replacement?
As of yet, no such biggish names have been rumoured as potential midfield players?
Which remains quiet strange, as there is still a position available within our squad for next season already, weather Oreily stays or goes at present imo?
The question still remains as just how many midfield players we require for our midfield areas next season?
Still think that within a 25man squad, it will consist of 7/8 imo?
Currently stand at calmac, Hatate and iwata and potentially lawal as confident in making up the numbers imo?
So still a fair amount of uncertainty regarding our midfield areas with Oreily, Paulo and Kelly far from certain at present?
Think Holm will be in line for a loan move to get more regular game time also imo?
So still considerable work to be finalised before we really know how our midfield areas are going to shape up for next season still imo?