Brighton have agreed a deal in precept for Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley.
The transfer will set a brand new file switch payment acquired by a Scottish membership which stands at £25m following Jota’s transfer from Celtic to Al Ittihad final summer season.
Celtic had beforehand rejected 5 bids from Atalanta for O’Riley – who scored 19 objectives and contributed 18 assists final season – with the Italian membership’s highest provide being £21.5m plus add-ons.
The 23-year-old Denmark worldwide was below contract at Celtic till 2027, with the membership additionally knocking again a suggestion of £20m from Atletico Madrid in January.
Brighton have already made some huge cash additions this summer season with the £40m signing of ahead Georginio Rutter and midfielder Brajan Gruda becoming a member of for round £25m.
Why Celtic’s loss is Brighton’s achieve
O’Riley moved to Celtic from MK Dons in January 2022
Sky Sports activities’ Sahil Jaidka and Alison Conroy:
A lot of the dialog round O’Riley’s transfer from Celtic to Brighton might be linked to cash.
It’s understood the transfer will set a brand new file payment acquired by a Scottish Premiership membership, surpassing Celtic’s £25m gross sales of Jota and Kieran Tierney.
Nevertheless, don’t be fooled into considering simply cash issues to O’Riley.
The Denmark worldwide is level-headed and pushed by enhancing as a participant – not enhancing his wages.
After coming by the Fulham academy, he turned down a contract extension at his boyhood membership. As a substitute, he educated in London parks along with his dad for six months earlier than becoming a member of MK Dons.
It was a calculated transfer by O’Riley, and one which paid off. He scored 10 objectives and created eight assists throughout his breakthrough in senior soccer on the then-League One membership.
O’Riley joined Celtic from MK Dons for £1.5m
Because of this, groups from throughout the Premier League, Championship and Europe famous an curiosity within the midfielder. Nevertheless, it was a transfer to Celtic that caught his consideration in January 2022, however why was that £1.5m swap proper for him?
He mentioned: “I wouldn’t just join a club if they paid me a certain amount of money if the style wasn’t right. I’m not that kind of guy.”
O’Riley made a direct influence with two assists in his opening 4 video games, earlier than scoring his first Celtic purpose in a win over Aberdeen.
The 23-year-old by no means appeared again. Throughout the subsequent marketing campaign, he completed with 14 assists and 4 objectives, after which final season was the one which noticed him develop into Celtic’s most important man.
He supplied objectives and assists in abundance, with Celtic agreeing a brand new four-year take care of the participant final September to make sure they might command a file payment when he determined it was time to maneuver on.
When O’Riley completed the season with 19 objectives and 18 assists, it was little shock he then picked up the membership’s participant of the yr, gamers’ participant of the yr and younger participant of the yr awards.
O’Riley sealed a clear sweep of membership awards at Celtic final season
Not solely does O’Riley present objectives, he creates huge probabilities for his team-mates and has confirmed he’s a participant who can deal with the massive event.
Brighton may have one eye on breaking into European competitors below Fabian Hurzeler – and O’Riley’s presence may support that push.
He has already proven he can impress on the largest stage – including two assists to his spectacular numbers final season throughout Celtic’s disappointing Champions League group-stage marketing campaign.
In addition to the fitting mindset and excellent capability – he additionally has a winner’s mindset. O’Riley will go away Celtic with six main honours – three league titles, two Scottish Cups and one League Cup. The Seagulls will hope he may help carry silverware to the seaside.
How will Celtic supervisor Brendan Rodgers look to exchange O’Riley?
The query for Celtic is how do they change somebody who has made such an influence? They might want to go into the switch marketplace for a tried and examined attacking midfielder to fill that big O’Riley-shaped gap within the Parkhead dressing room.
Brighton’s achieve is most definitely Celtic’s loss.
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