Club Pulls Out of O’Riley Transfer Race with £25 million deal

It appears that one of the main contenders for Celtics’ Matt O’Riley has withdrew from the competition. After discussing a possible transfer for the gifted midfield player with the Hoops, Brighton & Hove Albion turned their focus elsewhere and signed Brajan Gruda from Mainz for a fee of £25 million.

A highly-rated young midfielder named Gruda joins Brighton, signaling the team’s intention to strengthen, but it also probably means that O’Riley will not be moving forward. Gruda takes up a position that O’Riley would have occupied, so there isn’t much room in the team or cash for another big-name midfield addition.

O’Riley, who has a contract with Celtic that expires in 2027, has been in high demand this summer, drawing interest from other clubs. It is acknowledged that the player is not in a haste to leave the Glasgow giants, especially if he is not going to a Champions League team. The decision to change their focus may have been motivated by the fact that Brighton cannot provide elite European football, whereas Atalanta another team that has been closely associated with the Dane can.

This move may provide Celtic with a small reprieve from the transfer pressure. Although Brighton was really interested in O’Riley, the Seagulls’ midfield is probably fixed with Gruda joining them at the Amex, making Atalanta the main team still actively pursuing O’Riley.

O’Riley is still a key component of Brendan Rodgers’ plans at Celtic Park as things stand, and because the Hoops are in the Champions League, there’s a good possibility he’ll be playing in front of the fervent Park head fans for the foreseeable future.