Matt O’Riley has been linked with a transfer exit from Brighton this summer.
Celtic raked in a record £26m for midfielder O’Riley last summer as he was sold to the Premier League outfit late in the transfer window.
His first season in England was average at best, as he suffered two lengthy injuries and had to deal with being played out of position for numerous games.
As a result, O’Riley admitted he isn’t ‘completely happy’ at Brighton and that has added fuel to the fire over speculation he could move on.
Serie A giants AS Roma are interested in the Denmark international, while Everton would be keen if the Seagulls indicate they are willing to sell up.
Well, perhaps that time has now come.
Brighton ‘ready to negotiate’ sale of O’Riley
That’s because Italian newspaper Il Messaggero are reporting that Brighton are in a position to negotiate the possible sale of O’Riley.
They claim that O’Riley is not central to their plans next season and that could mean the Seagulls are willing to listen to any offers lodged for the 24-year-old.
O’Riley was on Roma’s transfer shortlist last summer with manager Claudio Ranieri and sporting director Florent Ghisolfi keen.
Brighton then priced the Italians out of any potential switch, but Roma are still interested in the player due to Gian Piero Gasperini.
Gasperini was boss of Atalanta last season but is now in charge of Roma, replacing Ranieri. Il Messaggero claim Gasperini still likes O’Riley.
Are Celtic due a sell-on fee for O’Riley?
The short answer is yes, according to The Celtic Way. When O’Riley was sold last summer for £26m, the Hoops are said to have inserted a 10 percent sell-on clause in his Brighton contract.
It’s likely that Celtic will only guarantee a windfall if Brighton make a profit on O’Riley, so do Roma have that kind of spending power at the moment?
The least Celtic can make is anything above £2.6m if O’Riley is sold for profit in the coming weeks and months.
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