Strategic Move Aston Villa Aims For Continuity By Pursuing O’Riley In The Mold Of John McGinn
Aston Villa target Matt O’Riley boasts similar traits to captain John McGinn and would fit in ‘very well’ at Villa Park, but transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT whether head coach Unai Emery will be able to lure him away from Celtic next month.
Having shown ambition by shattering their club-record outlay and forking out £51.9million in order to acquire Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the campaign getting underway, the Villans have been among the Premier League’s surprise packages and launched an unexpected title bid.
Emery, who has led Villa into the last 16 of the Europa Conference League thanks to guiding them to four wins in the group stage, will be handed another opportunity to splash the cash when the winter window opens for business at the turn of the year.
Villa in battle to land O’Riley
Villa have been monitoring O’Riley closely and sent scouts to watch him in Champions League action ahead of potentially testing Celtic’s resolve with a January bid, according to Sky Sports, but they would need to part with more than £25million if they want to have any chance of striking a deal.
The report suggests West Ham United, PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid have also been keeping tabs on the central midfielder – who has been at Parkhead since completing a £1.5million switch from Milton Keynes Dons in January 2022 – while Inter Milan are attempting to steal a march on fellow suitors by preparing to launch an initial loan offer which includes an obligation to buy.
Celtic will be desperate to keep O’Riley on their books as he could play a critical role in fending off Old Firm rivals Rangers in the race for the Scottish Premiership title, and they showed they are unwilling to lower their demands when they snubbed a bid from Leeds United during the closing stages of the summer transfer window.
| Matt O’Riley’s season in numbers | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 26 |
| Goals | 9 |
| Assists | 8 |
| Yellow cards | 2 |
| Sent off | 0 |
| Statistics according to Transfermarkt – Correct as of 29/12/2023 | |
Inter are not the only Serie A side to have taken a serious interest in the Denmark international as Bologna also tried their luck by putting a proposal on the table in August, only for his current employers to reject their advances.
Villa could face additional competition in their pursuit of O’Riley as domestic rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion have also been linked as they formulate their plans for the winter transfer window.
In a potential boost for Emery, respected journalist Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that the 23-year-old will eventually be tempted to test himself in the Premier League after enjoying a hugely successful spell north of the border.
Dean Jones update – Matt O’Riley
Jones believes natural comparisons can be drawn between O’Riley and Villa fan favourite McGinn, who has gone on to make more than 200 appearances for the Midlands outfit since sealing a switch from Hibernian close to five-and-a-half years ago, and the Celtic talisman would be a shrewd addition to Emery’s squad.
But the transfer insider fears the Spanish tactician may be frustrated in his pursuit as, having already lifted silverware on four occasions during his stint at Parkhead, the Fulham academy graduate is expected to remain loyal to Brendan Rodgers’ side.