Today we are hearing conflicting reports about the future of Australia International Riley McGree, a 23 year old attacking midfielder currently registered with MLS franchise Charlotte FC.  Daily Mail claim Celtic are closing in on a deal for exciting talent McGree, who has been impressing on loan at Birmingham City this season.

On the other hand, according to The Sun, Middlesbrough are in pole position to sign the player with Birmingham unable to match transfer fee or wages for the Australia star. They claim Boro manager Chris Wilder is leading the £2million race for McGree and have opened talks with Charlotte FC for the midfielder after his Birmingham loan ended.

Their report claims the North Yorkshire side are currently around £500,000 short but Wilder will get the funds to land his target this week. They also claim that Nottingham Forest are also interested in the player but have no mention of Celtic’s involvement in the battle for his signature.

Riley Mcgree of Birmingham City urges the away supporters to stop throwing bottles onto the pitch during the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City and Birmingham City at MKM Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Hull, England. (Photo by Ashley Allen/Getty Images)

Upon leaving Birmingham, the 23-year-old spoke to the club’s official website bcfc.com and said: “It’s sadly come to an end, but it has been a bit of a whirlwind and a good adventure and one that I have good memories from.

“England is where you want to come and play. To be able to get the opportunity in the Championship and to come to Birmingham, I took it and wanted to get here.”

This would definitely indicate he has his heart set on a move to England but if we return to what the Daily Mail report said, they indicate that fellow Australian, Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, is a big admirer of the player and feels he would make a huge impact in Scotland. Two totally conflicting reports in two of the big newspapers, it will be interesting to see who has it right.

Australia’s midfielder Riley McGree (R) and Vietnam’s midfielder Phong Hong Duy Nguyen watch the ball during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying round Group B football match between Vietnam and Australia at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on September 7, 2021. (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Delving further to find information on McGree I found he is predominantly an attacking midfielder who has already played for quite a few clubs even though he is still relatively young. He started his career at Adelaide United where he progressed through the youth system to become a rising star in the senior team. This won him his first move to Europe where he was signed by Belgian side Club Brugge. He never actually made an appearance for the club as he spent most of his contract being loaned back to Australia having spells at both Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City.

Riley McGree of Australia is challenged by Xinghan Wu during the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier final round Group B match between China and Australia at Sharjah Stadium on November 16, 2021 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Neville Hopwood/Getty Images)

With him no longer being required at Club Brugge he eventually moved back to Adelaide United where he had his most productive season yet, winning the club’s player of the season award as well as their golden boot after scoring ten goals throughout the campaign. In October 2020 he was sold to MLS franchise Charlotte FC for an undisclosed fee. Immediately after signing for the American club he was loaned to Birmingham City where he impressed so much his loan was renewed again this season and only ended back in December.

An attacking midfielder who could be the long term successor to fellow Australian Tom Rogic would definitely be an interesting addition to the squad. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the coming days.

Conall McGinty

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