Value the player, not the league – Rodgers’ warning to Matt O’Riley admirers…
Brendan Rodgers yesterday explained in the most diplomatic terms possible to the likes of English Premier League side Southampton and Italy’s Europa League winners Atalanta, that they have no chance of signing Matt O’Riley unless Celtic’s valuation for the player is met.
The Celtic manager revealed in his interview with Sky Sports that all bids so far received for the Denmark international midfielder have come nowhere near Celtic’s asking price and so have no chance at all of succeeding.
Matt O’Riley therefore, unless the £25m asking price is met my a suitor, is likely to remain at Celtic for now at least. No Celtic supporter will be discouraged by that prospect.
“It’s actually been straightforward with Matt because he’s such a great professional,” Brendan told Sky Sports as the build-up to the Scottish Premiership opener against Kilmarnock got underway.
“I think the challenge when teams come to a club like Celtic, they sometimes can place a value on the league and not the player.
“We all understand the model here; players will come in and develop. It’s not a club that you have to move on from, but obviously there are riches in other leagues much greater than ours that allows players to go and improve their conditions for their life. We all understand that.
“It’s really important from my perspective that if a player does leave here, that they pay the value for the player. That’s something that sometimes doesn’t happen. Sometimes a value will come in a lot less.
“I’ve worked in the Premier League, I understand the levels there, I understand the players and what the values are. So no players will leave here unless it’s for the right valuation and at this moment in time, there’s been no team that’s been anywhere near it,” the Celtic manager revealed.
💪 Strong pre-season
🧤 Schmeichel 'lift' for players
🩺 Bernardo medical
👀 Keeping eye on Idah
💸 O'Riley offer must 'value the player, not the league'We've been speaking to Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers ahead of their Premiership opener vs Kilmarnock, live on Sky 📺 pic.twitter.com/GXUza0ee3w
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) July 31, 2024
