Club want huge £50m fee for ‘wonderful’ player Leeds were preparing to bid for if promoted

It was promising to be a difficult season for Celtic, with Brendan Rodgers returning to the club and the squad in need of a major overhaul. But Rodgers did, despite facing an improving Rangers in 2023-24.

Now, Matt O’Riley’s future is about to come under the microscope. The left-footed playmaker was the subject of a £10m bid from Leeds last summer but Celtic rejected it and now you can see why.

Leeds were said to be lining up a move for O’Riley should he be promoted, with the “wonderful” star attracting plenty of interest. Two of the Premier League’s top six sides are understood to be in talks to sign O’Riley.

Celtic have now slapped an asking price on O’Riley, according to The Sun’s latest report Alan Nixon on his Patreon channel this weekend.

Celtic want a whopping £50m price tag for Leeds target Matt O’Riley

Indeed, Celtic have shown their desire and perhaps their ambition by demanding an almost ridiculous £50m for the Danish star. Their desire to keep O’Riley will come as no surprise considering he had a hand in 37 goals.

But Celtic are notorious for buying cheap and selling to Premier League clubs. Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama, Stuart Armstrong and many others over the years, but Celtic are reportedly keen to keep hold of O’Riley.

So the chances of Leeds splashing the cash even if O’Riley is promoted seems unlikely. Nixon also says Brighton are interested in a move, but even the Seagulls would surely be wary of paying that much for him.

What O’Riley said about his future at Celtic this summer

The Celtic star is clearly aware of the interest in his services and there is a chance he could leave this summer, even if clubs are against paying the £50m price tag. It is possible to reach a compromise.

What is interesting is that the record sale in the Scottish Premiership is Kieran Tierney’s move to Arsenal. O’Riley has commented on his future and left the door ajar for a potential exit this summer.

“This is a tough question. Yes, it would be very difficult (to move away from Celtic). I also said. The club means a lot to me. One more game to focus on and I’ll take it from there,” commented O’Riley.

Similar topics