Good news: Celtic hijack a great deal

Good news: Celtic hijack a great deal

As the Scottish Premiership campaign nears, Celtic could still lose star man Matt O’Riley, with another offer reportedly on the way that would see them receive a player on top of a transfer fee.

Celtic transfer news

In between welcoming Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo and, most recently, Paulo Bernardo, Celtic have faced the ongoing battle of keeping hold of O’Riley. The Dane is undoubtedly the standout player in Scotland, attracting interest from the likes of Liverpool, Atalanta and Southampton, but it remains to be seen whether he gets his move. As things stand, he is set to join Bernardo, Schmeichel and Sinisalo in Brendan Rodgers’ list of options come the opening day against Kilmarnock this Sunday.

Speaking to Celtic’s official website after re-joining on a permanent deal, latest signing Bernardo said: “It’s amazing for me and it’s a big step in my career. I really enjoyed last season when we won the championship and the cup, so it was great for me – my first two titles in my career, too.

 

“I love the atmosphere at Celtic Park and away in all the games. Celtic is a big, big club. The fans feed us in the game so we can score one more goal or win the game in the last minute. They show that they love the club and I think they really like me too, so I love them.”

This Sunday’s opening day fixture against Kilmarnock could yet be the new arrival’s final chance to play alongside O’Riley, despite ongoing rumours over his potential exit. According to Football Insider, Southampton are now set to submit a player-plus-cash offer to sign O’Riley, which could see young midfielder Shea Charles head to Glasgow this summer.

“Aggressive” Charles has crucial versatility

Whilst Charles would be far from a like-for-like replacement for the more attack-minded O’Riley, he would offer crucial versatility defensively, given that he is naturally a defensive midfielder who can also play at centre-back and right-back. If Southampton’s fee is also suitable, then it’s a deal that may well suit all parties in the coming weeks.

However, Saints boss Russell Martin may not be too keen to show Charles the door, despite his club’s reportedly pending offer. He said via the Daily Record last season: “I know Flynn [Downes] has played in front of him, but when he has come on from the bench he has had a really good impact on the games. We have really good competition in the midfield. Shea wants to win. He is aggressive and he breaks up play. He will be a really important player for us.”

With just a matter of weeks left until the transfer window slams shut, the O’Riley saga is far from over. The Dane will be in the shop window for all to see as the Scottish Premiership gets underway this weekend and Celtic will have to continue worrying about losing their star man.