Sky Sports have just reported that Brighton are in talks with Celtic over a deal for the in demand Matt O’Riley.
There has been plenty of speculation over the last few weeks of moves for the Danish international by several clubs, but this one seems to have some substance to it.
The Seagulls of course are an established English Premier League side and will have major cash to spend so they could well meet the clubs valuation of the player.
Chelsea are also said to be interested in the former MK Dons as a replacement for Connor Gallagher, but Brighton remain the only club so far to have held talks with Celtic.
West Ham and Leicester City were also credited with an interest in signing the Celtic midfielder but both are reportedly hesitant about meeting Celtic’s valuation. If that remains the case neither club has any really chance of landing the Denmark international.
Celtic want somewhere in the region of £25- £30 million for Matt and it’s too early to say if Brighton has offered that figure, but if they do stump up the cash then it’s most likely that Matt could have played his last game for the club.
It’s not happened yet of course, but we all know deep down Matt will be away in this window.
Just when he had such a strong midfield as well.
🚨 Brighton are in talks with Celtic over a deal for Matt O'Riley ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/FZYHC8rQgq
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) August 5, 2024
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
If Matt goes, he goes…we have plenty class in midfield….was more gutted when Rogic moved
It’s one thing about a club matching our valuation upon Oreily?
Totally different matter as to whether Oreily would be interested in joining such a club also?
There is also the possibility of clubs like Brighton might be able to offer a player plus cash into a deal that might interest Rodgers also?
Looking at how things have developed with Norwich there could be a change happening within transfers involving EPL clubs with them having to cut costs with financial regulations in operation?
So many factors can be in operation nowadays within the transfer market, that I can understand us entering negotiations but they hardly mean that Oreily will be sold either, especially if a deal isn’t too our liking either?
We still remain as a potential middle of the road type of club, where fantastic career opportunities are on offer, but remains short on the financial packages that other clubs can offer to players such as Oreily?
Yet the EPL teams have been stock piling players in a similar manner as ourselves also?
The financial implications don’t effect ourselves so much, even if it prevents growth within the club?
No real difference for an EPL team, except that the financial regulations are far stricter now within the EPL, especially with points deductions costing themselves millions also?
Yet Rodgers is looking for that extra quality within our squad?
So potentially plenty of players who could be outside our price range to buy directly, but could well be used with trying to make deals also imo?
It may well become a strategy that we may well have to consider in the future, especially when the value of EPL players can drop hugely when they don’t fit into the plans of a manager at an EPL club?
Rodgers would still be regarded as a respected manager in EPL circles, so more interest is expected within our players going forward also imo?
Especially as many are showing currently?
Which still will leave ourselves in the position of looking for the replacements?
Our track record is fairly impressive lately at the quality of player we can produce for the money we originally bought them for?
Only takes one seriously good CL campaign before everyone in European football starts to take far more notice of our players?
Pre season showed that, and could become a case that we stand to lose a very big player each summer for the foreseeable?
Been in operation for the past number of summers, but as a club we haven’t put ourselves in the strongest position to handle the likes either imo?
But it remains something that we need to start preparing for better than we have done in the past imo?
No doubt a player of Oreily quality would be a massive loss to ourselves, but hardly the end of the world either for ourselves?
Paulo is a decent player in his own right.
Holm developing fairly nicely at present also?
And that’s without the potential replacement for Oreily within our squad to be added yet, if Oreily should move on?
This is where our Club should be putting a potential plan into operation, especially as we stand to have the same situation regarding Hatate next summer?
Unfortunately we don’t have to many games where experimentation can be used regarding our players, where the demands within the club so high?
Yet there remains a demand to getting ourselves to a strong overall squad in place, moreso than forming just a strong starting 11?
These still remain the challenges for Rodgers to overcome, and personally think he is doing a wonderful job at present trying to tackle the whole process involved?
So currently quite prepared to trust Rodgers judgement upon tackling the process involved, than jumping on the time delays bandwagon and panicking over something that isn’t in existence within the club at present, which will change over the next few weeks also imo?
Still wouldn’t like to call to what degree either, but certainly trust Rodgers to get the decision making process correct all the same imo?