Dream O’Riley replacement: Celtic targeting swoop for "invisible" 10m star

Celtic are less than 48 hours away from kicking off their 2024/25 Scottish Premiership campaign with a game against Kilmarnock at Parkhead on Sunday.

The Hoops have added three new signings to the squad ahead of the opening game of the season, with the latest being Paulo Bernardo on a permanent deal from Benfica.

Brendan Rodgers has also brought in two goalkeepers to fill the void left by former England international Joe Hart, who retired at the end of last term.

Danish titan Kasper Schmeichel arrived on a free transfer to be the new number one for the Bhoys, whilst 22-year-old Viljami Sinisalo has been snapped up from Aston Villa to provide competition between the sticks.

Celtic do still have a few weeks left before the summer transfer window officially slams shut, though, and this means that there is plenty of time left for more ins and outs for the Scottish giants.

They will still be concerned about the future of one of their star players – Matt O’Riley – amid speculation over his future at Parkhead, and they are reportedly looking at potential targets to come in if he departs.

Celtic eyeing up midfield talent

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Premiership champions are likely to dip back into the market for another midfielder if the Danish star moves on before the end of the window.

The reporter claims that Celtic are looking at players who could come in to bolster the squad at Paradise in the event that a team secures a deal for O’Riley in the coming weeks.

He states that Philadelphia Union’s Daniel Gazdag, Southampton’s Shea Charles, and Venezia’s Tanner Tessmann are three of the names on their list of targets.

Sky Sports then posted an update on the story adding that Philadelphia have also held talks with Turkish side Trabzonspor over a potential deal for Gazdag.

The report also claims that the MLS outfit are set to demand a fee of around £10m from any interested side to part ways with their star midfielder.

That would represent a club-record deal for Celtic as their current highest outlay stands at the £9m they paid to land Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2018.

The Scottish giants may need to splash the cash if they want to land a dream replacement for O’Riley, though, after his incredible season in the Premiership.

Matt O’Riley’s exit would be a huge blow

The Denmark international is attracting plenty of interest from elsewhere as Atalanta have reportedly had three bids rejected for his services, and Premier League side Southampton are said to be plotting a second offer for him.

This comes off the back of his sensational form in the Scottish top-flight during the 2023/24 campaign, as the midfield ace produced consistently impressive performances in the division.

The former MK Dons starlet had racked up three goals and 12 assists in 38 games for Ange Postecoglou during the Australian’s final Premiership season at the club and stepped up under Rodgers’ management last term.

As you can see in the table above, O’Riley was the outstanding player for Celtic at the top end of the pitch as he led the team in goals, assists, and ‘big chances’ created.

This shows that he was pivotal to the team’s success in the division due to his sublime ability to provide consistent quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a midfield position.

He was one of two players in the squad who scored more than eight Premiership goals, alongside Kyogo Furuhashi (14), and scored at least four more than any of his teammates.

These statistics illustrate how difficult it will be for Celtic to replace O’Riley if Atalanta or Southampton, or any other team, swoops in to sign him before the end of the window.

The Hoops would need to find a midfielder who can make a big impact in the final third to make up for the goal contributions that would be lost by the Dane’s exit, and that is why they should splash the cash on Gazdag.

Why Daniel Gazdag would brilliantly replace Matt O’Riley

£10m would be a huge outlay for the Bhoys, as it would be a club-record deal, but it could be one that is value for money if the Hungary international can translate his MLS form over to the Premiership.

The 28-year-old star has an impressive goalscoring record that suggests that he could come in and replace the goals that Celtic would lose through O’Riley’s potential exit.

In 140 appearances for Philadelphia in all competitions, Gazdag has racked up an eye-catching 65 goals and 19 assists from an attacking midfield position.

As you can see in the table above, the midfield sensation has been a terrific goalscorer in the MLS with 29 goals in the last two seasons, with the current campaign still ongoing.

Gazdag was described as being “invisible” to opposition defenders in the way he ghosts into goalscoring positions by his manager Jim Curtin, which is backed up by his excellent record for the club.

The £24k-per-week marksman, who scored a staggering 24 goals in the MLS in the 2022 campaign, could come in and replicate O’Riley’s success in front of goal by offering a consistent threat in the final third for Celtic.

He may not offer as much creativity but, as shown by his aforementioned statistics over the last two years, the Hungarian gem can still create plenty of chances for his teammates to score.

Therefore, Rodgers must swoop to sign the MLS star for £10m if O’Riley moves on from Parkhead this summer, as he could brilliantly replace him as a terrific goalscoring midfielder who also has an eye for a pass.