As the week draws to a close, the situation surrounding Matt O’Riley remains unresolved. The Celtic midfielder is still locked in discussions with Brighton over a potential move that could see the Premier League side break the Scottish transfer record by offering more than £25 million.
Despite the ongoing talks, a deal has yet to be agreed, leaving the Hoops support anxiously waiting for the verdict. [Record Sport]
If a deal is struck we would expect things to move very quickly, but it appears we can rule out Matt lining up for Brighton on Saturday against Manchester Utd.
O’Riley, who was Celtic’s Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Players’ Player of the Year last season, has attracted significant attention due to his outstanding performances.
The Danish midfielder, who joined Celtic from MK Dons for just £1.5 million, has quickly become one of the club’s standout performers and could go down as one of Celtic’s biggest-ever bargains. However, the prospect of a big-money move to the English Premier League is now looming large.
As the transfer window deadline approaches, Celtic find themselves in a delicate position. If Matt does go, they need to be ready to push the button on a replacement. Beyond that — replacing Matt would not be seen as enough. The team needs some quality additions over and above any replacement for Matt.
