More details emerge on Celtic’s January stance involving Matt O’Riley amid Atletico Madrid offer

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Celtic managed to keep hold of Matt O’Riley in January despite heavy interest in his services from elsewhere.

The Denmark international has been a critical player for the Bhoys this term, registering ten goals and 12 assists in 35 appearances [Transfermarkt].

As we all know, Brendan Rodgers had to stand firm in the wake of advances from Atletico Madrid for O’Riley in the mid-season window.

Diego Simeone’s La Liga giants were keen to acquire the 23-year-old on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy him in the summer; nevertheless, Celtic stood up and pushed hard to keep their star man.

Girona and Inter Milan were also keen to land the former MK Dons midfielder, who eventually stayed put at Parkhead for the rest of the season.

Rodgers confirmed soon after that he wouldn’t be moving away from Scottish shores, stating [Sky Sports]: “There was that, but Matt is a player we don’t want to lose, and he won’t be going anywhere in January.”

Despite this, his form has slightly dipped in recent weeks, though we all know how pivotal O’Riley is to our chances of winning the Scottish Premiership title.

More details emerge on January interest in Celtic’s Matt O’Riley

According to Danish outlet Tipsbladet, Atletico Madrid attempted to take O’Riley on a loan-to-buy deal from Celtic that would’ve involved an £18 million permanent move in the summer.

Nevertheless, the Bhoys held out, with the publication claiming that they weren’t willing to sell for anything under the £25 million mark.

Atletico Madrid didn’t respond to the rebuttal from the reigning Scottish champions, paving the way for O’Riley to stay put in Glasgow.

Without a doubt, the 23-year-old will be at the centre of further speculation in the summer surrounding his future, especially if he is drafted into Denmark’s EURO 2024 squad, which is a key ambition for O’Riley.

Celtic would’ve cut off their nose to spite their face by losing his services in the middle of their bid for a domestic double.

Hopefully, he can be a key player during the run-in as the club chases further silverware as Rodgers looks to make his first campaign back at Parkhead a successful one.