Celtic star Matt O’Riley is the centre of attention this afternoon after reports broke revealing talks are ongoing with Brighton & Hove Albion over a potential summer transfer.
The Premier League outfit have long been interested in the Denmark international as Fabian Hurzeler looks to get his house in order on the South Coast.
From a Celtic perspective, O’Riley is arguably the most important player at the club and losing his services would be a bitter blow this summer. Atalanta have seen several bids turned down for the playmaker; meanwhile, Southampton and Juventus are also targeting the 23-year-old.
Despite speculation, he played a leading role in the Bhoys’ 4-0 demolition against Kilmarnock. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen where this development could lead.
Addressing the exit reports, Chris Sutton has offered his thoughts, and it is fair to say the former Celtic man hasn’t pulled any punches.
Chris Sutton urges Matt O’Riley to aim higher
Taking to social media platform X, Sutton has urged O’Riley to ‘set his sights higher’ than potentially joining Brighton this summer by staying at Celtic unless a bigger club comes in for him.
In full, he stated: “With the greatest respect to Brighton who are a brilliantly run club i think Matt O’Riley should set his sights higher… I’d like to see him give it one more go in the Champions League with this current Celtic team… so unless it’s a big enough move stay one more season….”
It is hard to disagree with Sutton’s opinion. O’Riley doesn’t have a shortage of suitors; however, not many of them can offer the prestige of playing in the new Champions League format this campaign.
On the flip side, finance can often dictate in these situations. Celtic can’t afford to match Premier League wages; that is just a reality of the modern-day game.
O’Riley isn’t money-driven; he has mapped out his career by making smart choices, such as departing Fulham in 2021 to seek first-team opportunities at MK Dons.
However, as fans, we need to hope he views Parkhead as the best destination to continue flourishing. Whether he will or not is another question, the answer to that will be revealed in the weeks to come.
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