Chris Sutton has now commented on the future of Danish midfielder Matt O’Riley at Celtic, with Southampton linked.
Southampton have recently been linked with Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, 23, who’s just enjoyed a prolific season in the Scottish Premiership.
The former Fulham youngster netted 18 times and assisted 13 more in 37 league games for Celtic as they went on to clinch the title.
He’s under contract until 2027 and so Celtic are under no immediate pressure to sell. But there’s rumours of a £30million sell price amid interest from the Saints.
Southampton under Russell Martin are returning to the Premier League after clinching promotion via the play-offs and could yet spend big in the summer transfer window.
Chris Sutton comments on Matt O’Riley future at Celtic
O’Riley has been left out of the Denmark squad for this summer’s Euro tournament. And it’s left Celtic fand fearing the worst where the midfielder’s future is concerned.
But Sutton believes that O’Riley’s Denmark omission is actually good news for Celtic, suggesting that the ‘fact he’s not in the shop window’ could mean bids are less likely to come in.
Sutton wrote for Daily Record: “You see it around every big tournament. Someone comes in and has a couple of good games, and there’s a scramble to sign them for big money.”
But Sutton also states that, if a £30million bid comes in for O’Riley this summer, then it’s a ‘no brainer’ for the club to sell up.
Southampton know what to do if they want to sign Matt O’Riley from Celtic
O’Riley is certainly turning heads with Celtic, with 31 goal contributions from midfield being an astonishing achievement, and at a young age too.
His omission rom the Denmark squad is certainly a blow for him and very surprising too, given the season he’s just enjoyed.
Sutton makes a good point about O’Riley not being in the shop window as we often see players enjoy a good major tournament, then become the subject of widespread interest; James Rodriguez at the 2014 World Cup for example.
But that could also work in Southampton’s favour as well; if he’s not playing then he may be free to discuss a possible move, and if he’s not playing then his transfer value surely won’t rise much further beyond this apparent £30million mark.
It’s still a huge fee, though. Even with the money of the Premier League, Southampton will surely learn from their spending errors of the past and think twice before spending this amount on any player.
But if Martin really wants him, then Southampton know what they need to do; put £30million on the table before anyone else does so.