Celtic are top of the Scottish Premiership heading into the New Year and now look to have a plan in place regarding one of their star men at Parkhead, according to a report.
Celtic 2-1 Rangers
On a dreary Saturday in Glasgow’s east end, Celtic put in a stirring performance to defeat arch-rivals Rangers 2-1 at Parkhead courtesy of goals from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi, who extended the Hoops’ lead at the top of the table to eight points heading into 2024.
In Scottish football, the winter break comes into play in early January and following their trip to St Mirren on January 2nd, Brendan Rodgers’ side will head off for a few weeks before returning against Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup on January 21st, by which time fans will hope some new arrivals have already entered the building.
Recent reports have indicated Celtic could look to spend between £6-10 million in the mid-season window; however, this could also be dependent on players leaving the building during the month of January. Bringing in a striker, central midfielder and left-winger are believed to be key priorities for Rodgers, though he will also consider loan signings to help bolster his squad for the remainder of the campaign.
Outgoings may also be necessary to bring down the plethora of options the Irishman has at his disposal and forgotten summer signing Marco Tilio is said to have reached out via his entourage to former clubs Melbourne City and Sydney FC over a potential loan deal, according to reports in his homeland.
Now, Celtic appear to have a transfer plan in place regarding one of their star men in Glasgow who continues to make waves north of the border.
According to Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, Celtic are confident of securing a club-record £25-30 million for midfield sensation Matt O’Riley in the summer window, with the reporter sharing that the notion of the Hoops man departing in mid-2024 is increasingly likely.
| Matt O’Riley key statistics in 2023/24 – Scottish Premiership (SofaScore) | |
| Key passes | 2.6 |
| Big chances created | 5 |
| Balls recovered per game | 6.7 |
| Tackles per game | 1.9 |
| Shots per game | 2.9 |
Despite major interest in the Denmark international from clubs in England and around Europe, it is believed that the 23-year-old is settled in Glasgow and is happy to remain at the club for the rest of the season. The Hoops would demand a fee beyond their highest-ever net gain for a transfer to even consider O’Riley leaving mid-campaign.