Matt O’Riley is a player who is attracting attention from all of the major leagues in Europe and it seems that Celtic will have a job on their hands to keep a hold of him.
The Danish international had a superb season for Celtic both domestically and in the Champions League and has been attracting the attention of the likes of Inter Milan, Roma, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid.
Even after being snubbed by Denmark boss, Kasper Hjulmand, for Euro 2024, O’Riley won’t be short of potential suitors as Celtic look to hold on to their prized asset.
Atletico Madrid seems to be the team most linked with O’Riley but a report has claimed that there is a potential problem the La Liga side face that could impact their pursuit of the Celtic midfielder.
Atletico Madrid’s contract dilemma with Saul Niguez
We discussed in May how Celtic were set to demand a record fee for their star midfielder should the big guns of Europe come calling.
So far, the £25m the club got for Jota and Kieran Tierney is yet to be beaten but it seems that, for Atletico, the fee is not the most of their worries in pursuing the 23-year-old due to a contract issue with one of their own players.
A report from AS in Spain claims, “The red and white club intends to negotiate with Saúl a termination of his contract and in the event that the youth player could leave, they could undertake a signing of these characteristics. The red and white offer would be in the region of €20m (£16.98m)”
Saúl Ñíguez Esclapez has been with the La Liga side since 2008. His contract doesn’t expire until 2026 and despite making 49 appearances for Atletico last season, seems surplus to requirements.
Niguez is one of Atletico’s highest earners and is thought to be on around €230,769 per week (£194k) [Capology] and persuading him to give that up could prove a major hurdle for the Spanish side to overcome.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
