Fans are hopeful that Matt O’Riley stays a Celtic player until the end of the summer transfer window.
The Celtic fans have accepted that they will be losing a player who has been so valuable to them for months on end.
Under Brendan Rodgers, Matt O’Riley had his best season to date, yet he arrived while Ange Postecoglou was in the dugout.
The 23-year-old made 49 appearances in all competitions, contributing 18 assists and 19 goals, including some standout displays in the Champions League.
Because of this, a number of teams are vying for O’Riley’s signature this summer. According to sources who spoke to HITC, West Ham United and Everton are interested in signing O’Riley, along with Brentford, Southampton, and Fulham.
The Danish international is the greatest player in Scotland and is performing too well to be playing in the Scottish Premiership, so the Celtic supporters won’t be shocked.
Matt O’Riley enjoyed his best season to date under Brendan Rodgers, but he didn’t start off in the dugout with Ange Postecoglou.
The 23-year-old made 49 appearances in all competitions, scoring 19 goals and providing 18 assists, with some particularly impressive performances coming in the Champions League.
This summer, a lot of teams are fighting for O’Riley’s signing as a result. West Ham United, Everton, Brentford, Southampton, and Fulham are among the teams interested in signing O’Riley, according to sources who talked with HITC.
Celtic fans won’t be surprised because the Danish international is the best player in Scotland and is playing too good to be in the Scottish Premiership.
Gordon Dalziel reacted to this latest offer and stated that he ‘agrees with the Celtic board’ for making such a call, as he told Clyde 1.
The former Rangers man thinks the Bhoys will look upwards of ‘£25 million’ for their player and explained how he has ‘added so much to his game’ in recent years.
Celtic reject second Matt O’Riley transfer offer from Atalanta
“I never thought for one minute that Celtic would sell at that price,” said Dalziel. “I am not putting him in the £28-30 million bracket, it’s whatever a team is prepared to pay for you.
“But I would certainly agree with Celtic at not selling him at that because Matt O’Riley has been absolutely brilliant since he came to Celtic. He has added so much to his game. I think Celtic are hoping for top dollar for him.
“I definitely agree with the Celtic board that I wouldn’t be letting Matt O’Riley go for £14 million. A lot better player than that. I think Celtic would look at between £20-25 million.”
Celtic should push to keep Matt O’Riley
Rodgers delivered another Scottish Premiership title and also secured a dramatic victory over Rangers in the Scottish Cup final.
But they should do everything they can to keep O’Riley because it enhances their chances in the Champions League.
That has been the biggest frustration for Celtic because, post-Christmas, they always find themselves out of Europe and a player like O’Riley keeps you fighting.
But if the inevitable does happen and O’Riley heads for the exit door, then Mark Wilson warned that Paulo Bernardo can’t replace O’Riley.
