Atlético Madrid, Girona and Inter interested - could Celtic sell Matt O'Riley in January?

Celtic may be sitting comfortably at the top of the Scottish Premiership table but storm clouds could be brewing overheard as the Glasgow giants prepare for serious offers for some of their best players in the January transfer window. The Scottish side made a handsome profit from selling players in the summer window, totalling no less than €34.8 million in transfer fees and have already seen one senior player leave the club this month in the form of Yosuke Ideguchi, who departed for a reported €1m to join Vissel Kobe. 

Who wants to sign Matt O’Riley?

However, new reports are suggesting that the club are set to do battle with other European clubs over the future of one of their star players. According to Sky Sports, LaLiga giants Atlético Madrid have launched a bid to sign midfielder Matt O’Riley this month. The broadcaster suggests that the Spanish club have offered to sign the 23-year-old talent on loan, with an obligation to sign the Celtic star at the end of the season. This follows another report from Sky Sports earlier in the month that LaLiga leaders Girona were also interested in signing the Celtic star. And one prior to that in late December which claimed that Inter Milan were also monitoring the player’s situation at Celtic. 

How good is Matt O’Riley?

O’Riley made the move to Celtic in 2022 when he joined the club from MK Dons for a paltry sum of just €1.8m. And since then the Denmark international has gone from strength to strength in Glasgow, bagging 18 goals and 28 assists in 101 games across all competitions and establishing himself as one of the Scottish Premiership’s most accomplished box-to-box talents. As such, O’Riley’s market value has gone through the roof over the course of the last 18 months, rising from €450k when he joined Celtic to where it now stands at €13m - making him the most valuable player in the Scottish top-flight. 

Would Celtic be willing to sell the midfielder?

Due to O’Riley’s success in Celtic’s midfield and his growing stature at the club, it seems highly unlikely that the club would be willing to see the player in January. This is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that the 23-year-old midfielder signed a new four-year contract with the club last year. The Scottish champions are accustomed to selling key players when the right offer arrives, but Atlético’s reported offer of a loan deal with an obligation to buy is unlikely to interest Celtic. Whether the Madrid club, Girona or Inter can offer better deals and sign the midfielder this month remains to be seen.