To lose Matt will be a big blow, but to lose Reo would be a devastating one. We must keep him at all costs…
It seems inevitable that Matt O’Riley will soon leave Celtic, now it’s been reported in the media in the last 24 hours that Reo Hatate is attracting interest, most notably from Leicester City.
Reo is a class act and has impressed in pre-season against some top class opposition, so it’s no surprise that he’s attracting interest from other clubs, but with all due respect to the newly promoted Foxes, he should be aiming much higher than Leicester.
And from Celtic’s point of view, Hatate’s valuation will only soar after he completes an injury free season working under Brendan Rodgers. He also has to prove to suitors that he can stay fit after a hugely frustrating campaign curtained his football significantly and prevented him from shining on the Champions League stage where Matt O’Riley, Kyogo and Luis Palma were left to lead the way for Celtic.
Of course it’s all down to money in the end, and Leicester City can offer him that along with the ‘glamour’ of the EPL. But with Reo contracted to 2028 the ball is firmly in the club’s court and will only let him leave if they are offered top dollar. It is also highly unlikely that Celtic would sell both O’Riley and Hatate in the same window as that would leave both the support and indeed the manager mightily frustrated.
So we must do all we can to keep him here for another season at least. Losing Matt will be a big blow, but losing Reo on top would be a disaster. Going into the new season without two of our best players is unthinkable, no matter the financial gain for the club. We need to stand firm.
Supporters marvel at the Celtic bank balance, with all that money resting in the PLC bank account, saving up for a rainy day when there’s no Champions League income. That will be more likely incidentally as we are not too far away from having to play qualifiers even as Scottish Champions. That’s Celtic paying the price for failing to invest in the squad over the past number of years.
A real statement of intent would be to keep both Matt and Reo and let them make a name for themselves in the Champions League. They looked mightily impressive together the other night against Chelsea, did they not.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
There should not be even the least inclination on Celtic’s part to sell either player. What’s the point of having money in the bank when players of their quality cannot be replaced. Celtic must keep both players at the club for one more season at least – improvement in the Champions League this year depends on it.
What you say almost comes across as contradictory.
The point about having the money to be able to replace either player, yet in the same breath you say we can’t even consider selling either!
Oddly enough, I actually get your point.
You make two valid arguments.
When we let these guys go, and we eventually will, though not in the same window or even season, I’m confident that we’ll have replacements lined up.
In spite of the media’s attempts to rile up the fans and turn us against the club, the facts are crystal clear really. Look at our recent history! Who’s winning all the championships? Who’s winning all the cups? Who’s dominating Scottish football, despite the best efforts of a very corrupt SPFL?
Who’s the ONLY club in the country with a healthy bank balance?
These things are all major irritants to the media and to the SPFL, as well as the new club across the city.
Some fans are taken in and say things like, “we are doing these things in Scotland” “we should be doing them in the Champions League”.
But this is only half true!
We are dominating Scotland because this is our bread and butter, the league we are unfortunate enough to be in! But we OWN it!
Yes, we want to do better in the Champions League! But stop thinking that we are going to win this again! We will NEVER again be champions of Europe.
But we can continue to dominate Scotland and show up well in Europe.
Did we get a like-for-like replacement for Jota, or even Starfelt? Celtic rarely if ever get such replacements and this is why time and again we end up weakening our team to the point that our rivals win a league. It has happened since I was a kid in the 70’s.
We just know those saboteurs would sell both O’Riley and Hatate whilst not giving one fck what the fans want.
Every window this goes on and still the fans pay out for STs, it IS their fault!!!
Until the fans desist from forking out monies for tickets, catering and merchandise then the charlatans on the board will carry carry on.
Correct mate we don’t need more money in the bank we need a successful team on the park I don’t think the board care about success in Europe doing it in Scotland is enough for them tell me one other club that has the means to keep their best players and add to our squad to be more successful club in the eyes of the world but won’t do it WHY ?
This board will sell as our club is about to be sold
Think on this
Huge cash plus bank balance
Guaranteed CL income
Guaranteed trophies
Plus balance with players being bought/sold
Who benefits
Major share holders DD and rest of lackeys in board
Definitely not suporters