Brighton have completed the signing of midfielder Matt O’Riley from Celtic.
The move will set a new record transfer fee received by a Scottish club, which previously stood at £25m following Jota’s move from Celtic to Al Ittihad last summer.
Celtic had rejected five bids from Atalanta for O’Riley – who scored 19 goals and contributed 18 assists last season – with the Italian club’s highest offer being £21.5m plus add-ons.
The 23-year-old Denmark international was under contract at Celtic until 2027, with the club also knocking back an offer of £20m from Atletico Madrid in January.
Brighton have already made some big money additions this summer with the club-record £40m signing of forward Georginio Rutter and midfielder Brajan Gruda joining for around £25m.
Speaking after Sunday’s 3-0 win at St Mirren, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports he is “hopeful” of bringing in a replacement for the ex-MK Dons midfielder before the transfer window closes on Friday.
“We will, fingers crossed, get that sorted this week,” he said. “We have options which hopefully will be close.
“But as long as we can get it into the club by next Friday, I’ll be really pleased. The group’s performing well, but we want to strengthen that too.”
Why Celtic’s loss is Brighton’s gain
Sky Sports’ Sahil Jaidka and Alison Conroy:
Much of the conversation around O’Riley’s move from Celtic to Brighton will be connected to money.
The move has set a new record fee received by a Scottish Premiership club, surpassing Celtic’s sales of Jota and Kieran Tierney.
However, do not be fooled into thinking just money matters to O’Riley.
The Denmark international is level-headed and driven by improving as a player – not improving his wages.
After coming through the Fulham academy, he turned down a contract extension at his boyhood club. Instead, he trained in London parks with his dad for six months before joining MK Dons.
It was a calculated move by O’Riley, and one that paid off. He scored 10 goals and created eight assists during his breakthrough in senior football at the then-League One club.
As a result, teams from across the Premier League, Championship and Europe noted an interest in the midfielder. However, it was a move to Celtic that caught his attention in January 2022, but why was that £1.5m switch right for him?
He said: “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 an immediate impact with two assists in his opening four games, before scoring his first Celtic goal in a win over Aberdeen.
The 23-year-old never looked back. During the next campaign, he finished with 14 assists and four goals, and then last season was the one that saw him become Celtic’s main man.
He provided goals and assists in abundance, with Celtic agreeing a new four-year deal with the player last September to ensure they could command a record fee when he decided it was time to move on.
When O’Riley finished the season with 19 goals and 18 assists, it was little surprise he then picked up the club’s player of the year, players’ player of the year and young player of the year awards.
Not only does O’Riley provide goals, he creates big chances for his team-mates and has proven he is a player who can handle the big occasion.
Brighton will have one eye on breaking into European competition under Fabian Hurzeler – and O’Riley’s presence could aid that push.
He has already shown he can impress on the biggest stage – adding two assists to his impressive numbers last season during Celtic’s disappointing Champions League group-stage campaign.
As well as the right mindset and outstanding ability – he also has a winner’s mindset. O’Riley leaves Celtic with six major honours – three league titles, two Scottish Cups and one League Cup. The Seagulls will hope he can help bring silverware to the seaside.
The question for Celtic is how do they replace someone who has made such an impact? They will need to go into the transfer market for a tried and tested attacking midfielder to fill that giant O’Riley-shaped hole in the Parkhead dressing room.
Brighton’s gain is most certainly Celtic’s loss.
Sutton: Replacing O’Riley nigh on impossible
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton on Sky Sports:
“He was Celtic’s best player last season and they can’t replace him essentially.
“I don’t think they need just one body in, they need more than that. Replacing Matt O’Riley is nigh on impossible.
“Paulo Bernardo will get the chance to show what he can do on a consistent basis.
“Celtic need more quality in the building. O’Riley is an enormous loss, to lose him this late is a problem for Celtic.”
Former Celtic midfielder Stiliyan Petrov on Sky Sports:
“You can see how badly they will miss O’Riley but the club will continue. It is important how they spend that money.
“Celtic and Rangers produce players which other teams look to take to strengthen their teams. O’Riley has really matured in the last year and I am not surprised a Premier League team has come in for him with a big price.”
Source : Sky Sports
