Breaking News:Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Celtic transfer exits as good as ‘white flag’ title surrender

Breaking News:Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Celtic transfer exits as good as ‘white flag’ title surrender

Chris Sutton reckons Celtic would be as well waving the white flag of surrender to their title hopes if they sell BOTH Matt O’Riley and Kyogo.

 

The pair have both been linked with moves to Manchester City and Brighton respectively with the Danish midfielder in particular on the verge of his record-breaking move becoming official this coming week. Sutton believes the club can’t afford to allow both to depart with City considering a shock move for Kyogo as there’s simply not enough time left in the transfer window to replace properly.

 

Kyogo has been the top striker at the club since 2021 and even with Adam Idah arriving, the Japanese hitman would not be easy to find cover for. And it would hand the momentum to rivals Rangers, says Sutton in his Daily Record column, if the Hoops let both go without bringing in readymade signings.

The prospect of losing Matt O’Riley this summer is a tough one for Celtic fans to stomach. But allowing Kyogo to also head out the door would be absolutely unthinkable right now,” he wrote.

 

 

 

“Celtic shouldn’t even contemplate the possibility of the striker leaving. They can’t entertain it – at any price. There’s been enough said about O’Riley and people have just about got their heads around his likely departure. Kyogo is a different matter. The story this week about Manchester City being interested has got supporters in a panic – and it’s understandable. The notion of Celtic losing two of their best players going into the final week of the transfer window makes my stomach lurch as well.

 

“And I’m sure plenty will understand the attraction for Celtic if they can get £20million plus for a 29-year-old striker. That’s not the point though. Celtic might get a ton of money – but Kyogo is irreplaceable.

Let’s face it, they are not going to go out and replace him with another £20m frontman. It will be a player who has potential and will need to develop. That’s the reality at Celtic and I get the model of buying cheap and then selling big.

But at some point they are going to need to draw a line in the sand. They need to show they are a club with Champions League ambitions rather than just a battery farm for other clubs to come along and pick up their top players whenever they feel like it.

 

“Would he be happy sitting on the bench every week and playing the odd Carabao Cup tie? It wouldn’t be for me. He’d be as well taking the Saudi money as far as I am concerned.

 

“Likewise for O’Riley. It’s been assumed his move to Brighton is inevitable but is it the best place for him? I’m not so sure about that one either. Brighton are a good club, who play nice football and have an imaginative manager.