Celtic: Leicester interested in O’Riley

Celtic might effectively be dealing with a nightmare situation at Parkhead concerning midfielder Matt O’Riley, with the highly-rated playmaker at present attracting curiosity from the Premier League.

What’s the phrase?

In line with the Every day Mail, by way of the Daily Record, Leicester Metropolis are reportedly preserving tabs on the 21-year-old at current, having despatched scouts to observe the Denmark U21 worldwide in motion at Parkhead final week through the Champions League defeat to RB Leipzig.

The report means that the Foxes – managed by former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers – are stepping up their curiosity within the former MK Dons man forward of the January window, with the Midlands aspect having beforehand been one of many golf equipment linked with a transfer over the summer season, alongside Newcastle United.

Rumours within the latest window had prompt that the thrilling asset – who can be reportedly being scouted by Manchester United – could possibly be value as a lot as £20m, with the participant himself having admitted that there was curiosity from these on the King Energy Stadium, in addition to the Magpies.

Wanyama 2.0

The Previous Agency giants aren’t any stranger to seeing their prime expertise poached by golf equipment south of the border, with the final decade or so having seen quite a lot of high-profile figures go away Glasgow for the riches of life in England.

That was the case as regards to Kenyan colossus, Victor Wanyama, with the towering midfielder having joined the Hoops for a reported payment of simply £900k in 2011, earlier than rapidly establishing himself as a key asset below Neil Lennon.

The Nairobi-born menace – who racked up 13 objectives and 9 assists in 91 video games for the Bhoys in all competitions – notably attracted curiosity on account of his shows on the European stage, very like O’Riley, having memorably scored in that exceptional conquer Barcelona in 2012.

Such shows unsurprisingly noticed the dominant ace swiftly snapped up by Premier League outfit Southampton after simply two years in Scotland, with Lennon and co having loved solely a fleeting relationship with the participant, albeit whereas raking in a tidy revenue on account of his £12.5m payment.

It appears as if O’Riley might observe that instance and make a fair speedier transfer away from Celtic Park within the winter window, having solely arrived at his present membership for what has confirmed a cut price value of simply £1.5m again in January.

Regardless of that comparatively brief stint below Ange Postecoglou’s tutelage, the £2.07m-rated ace has rapidly change into a number one asset for the Scottish champions, scoring four occasions and laying on seven assists in 34 appearances so far.

The 6 foot 2 “machine” – as dubbed by former boss Russell Martin – had notably been an actual shining gentle regardless of defeat throughout final week’s loss to Leipzig, with such a show on the European stage more likely to have garnered additional admirers.

To lose such a promising asset so rapidly could be a nightmare for each Postecoglou and the membership, with the Hoops doubtlessly set to as soon as once more solely reap the advantages of such expertise for a short interval, as has been the case with the likes of Wanyama and a bunch of others.