Celtic could unearth O’Riley 2.0 in swoop for "phenomenal" 7m+ gem

The summer transfer window officially slams shut for business on Friday and Celtic do not have much time left to complete their incoming and outgoing business.

Brendan Rodgers is yet to make an outfield signing of a player who was not a part of his squad from the 2023/24 campaign, as Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo have joined on permanent deals after their loan spells in Glasgow.

He has also brought in two goalkeepers – Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel – to replace Joe Hart, who retired at the end of last season after three years at Parkhead.

To date, though, there have not been any outfield players to improve the squad that ended last term as the Scottish Premiership and SFA Cup champions.

There could be movement in the final days of the summer transfer window, however, as one of Rodgers’ stars looks set for a move away from the club.

Attacking midfielder Matt O’Riley is the subject of interest from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, who are reportedly set to sign him for a deal worth up to £30m.

His exit from the Scottish side would be a big blow for the club after his terrific performances at the top end of the pitch throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Why losing Matt O’Riley would be a huge blow

The Denmark international has been a consistent performer for the Premiership champions and has proven himself to be an influential figure on the pitch since his move from England in 2022.

Ange Postecoglou swooped to sign the young whiz from League One side MK Dons in January 2022 for a reported fee of £1.5m, which means that Celtic would make a gigantic profit on him if they cash in for more than £25m.

He produced four goals and three assists in 16 matches during the second half of that season, before going on to register three goals and 12 assists in 38 league games during his first full campaign in Scotland.

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The left-footed magician then exploded under Rodgers last season by showcasing his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals on a regular basis for the Hoops.

O’Riley registered 18 goals and 13 assists in 37 appearances from a central midfield position in the Premiership for Celtic as they won the division.

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old talent was the club’s most influential figure at the top end of the pitch when it came to scoring and creating goals in the top-flight.

No player provided as many goals, assists, big chances created, or key passes as O’Riley did in the Premiership for Celtic, which illustrates how important he was to the team.

Whilst the Bhoys may look to replace him with an immediate first-team addition, like LAFC’s Mateusz Bogusz, Rodgers could also land a future star who could be developed into the next O’Riley at Parkhead.

Celtic’s interest in teenage sensation

Earlier this month, Swedish outlet Fotboll Direkt claimed that Celtic are one of a number of teams interested in signing Hammarby youngster Bazoumana Toure.

The report stated that the Hoops have sent scouts to watch the 18-year-old talent in action over the summer as they consider a move for the gem.

It was also revealed that Crystal Palace, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are also keeping tabs on the Ivorian ace, which suggests that there could be strong competition for his signature from major leagues in Europe.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that it would take an offer of more than £7.3m to tempt Hammarby into cashing in on their starlet before the end of the window.

It now remains to be seen whether or not Celtic, Palace, Frankfurt, or Leverkusen are willing to offer £7m+ to land the Ivory Coast international to bolster their respective squads over the coming days before Friday’s deadline.

Selling O’Riley to Brighton for £30m could free up some funds for the Hoops to play with and Toure could come in as a future star for the Scottish giants.

Why Celtic should sign Bazoumana Toure

The 18-year-old is an up-and-coming talent who could be developed into a top-quality player for Celtic in the years to come, which means that they could invest in him at £7m+ in the hope that he is worth £30m or more in the future.

He would not be a like-for-like replacement for O’Riley but the teenage whiz is another left-footed attacking midfielder who has the potential to contribute with goals and assists.

Whilst the Danish ace typically operates in a central midfield role, with a license to get forward into attacking positions in a dominant Celtic side, Toure is a left-sided player who has also been deployed as one of two number tens in behind a centre-forward with Hammarby.

The Ivorian sensation, whose form was hailed as “phenomenal” by video scout Elijah Michiels, has enjoyed a strong start to his first-team career in the 2024 Allsvenskan season so far.

As you can see in the table above, Toure has provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from an attacking midfield position, whether that has been wide left in a three or centrally in a two behind a striker.

At the age of 18, he has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and progress further and there would not be any immediate pressure for him to perform at Parkhead, given that he has yet to prove himself outside of Sweden.

Rodgers could bring him in as a long-term project and look to help him improve on the training pitch over the months and years to come, to develop him into O’Riley 2.0 as another left-footed midfielder who can score and create goals on a consistent basis.