Celtic set to reject bid for Matt O’Riley, Brendan Rodgers standing firm

Celtic have been involved in a quiet window so far; nevertheless, there is still time for movement in or out of the club with little over a week to go.

Of course, Nicolas Kuhn has been brought in for a fee of £3 million from Rapid Vienna. He could make his first-team bow this weekend against Ross County. On the flip side, Celtic winger Liel Abada is a wanted man and reports suggest that West Bromwich Albion, Southampton and Watford could make a shock loan swoop for the Israel international. At this stage, the Hoops have no intention of allowing the 22-year-old to depart and Brendan Rodgers is said to view Abada as a key player heading into the second half of the campaign [Daily Mail]. Ensuring key assets remain at the club will take as much precedence as securing new arrivals for the Irishman, who has also had to field interest in Denmark international Matt O’Riley from Girona, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.

Celtic set to reject Matt O’Riley bid Earlier, reports indicated that Celtic received a bid from Atletico Madrid for star man O’Riley, which would take the form of an initial loan with an obligation for the La Liga outfit to buy him outright in the summer. Rodgers’ men are said to be in a ‘strong position’ to negotiate and the 23-year-old signed a new four-year deal back in September, meaning he is under contract in Glasgow until 2027 Now, a follow-up on the situation has been communicated by The Scottish Sun, claiming that the Hoops are ready to reject the proposal. The outlet state that despite Diego Simeone’s willingness to bring O’Riley to the Spanish capital, Celtic and Rodgers will stand firm and have no intention to let the former MK Dons man leave this month. Celtic put their foot down amid Matt O’Riley interest Celtic look to have put their foot down amid suitors arising for O’Riley’s signature, which can only be a good thing for everyone connected with the club. Finding a replacement for someone as efficient in midfield as the London-born man would be a tall order, especially when the Bhoys wouldn’t stand to gain an immediate fee to reinvest in their playing squad. According to Sofascore, the stylish playmaker has created six big chances alongside averaging 2.9 shots per Scottish Premiership match this campaign, with 1.1 hitting the target. O’Riley has scored ten times and assisted 12 goals across encompassing all competitions in 2023/24 and keeping him around should be a central priority for Rodgers [Transfermarkt].

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