Celtic are planning to hand midfielder Matt O’Riley a new contract, according to The Scottish Sun.
The tabloid claims that the Hoops are “poised to offer” an extension as they look to ward off interest from south of the border.
O’Riley was reportedly the subject of a £10m bid from English Championship side Leeds in the final week of the transfer window, but the proposal was rejected by the Scottish champions.
It would have landed the club a very healthy profit on the Danish Under 21 international. However, Brendan Rodgers’ side are keen to keep him for the long term.
After recently tying down the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada to new deals, they are hoping to do the same with O’Riley in the not-too-distant future.
O’Riley has attracted plenty of interest
After signing from MK Dons for just £1.5m in the 2022 January transfer window, the midfielder began to turn heads with his performances almost immediately.
By the start of last season, the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Leicester had been linked with O’Riley, with scouts coming to games to see him in action.
However, it seems as if Leeds were the only team that ended up firming up their interest in the 22-year-old.
Celtic can offer the player a lot more than a second-tier English club
While O’Riley may have been tempted if a Premier League outfit had tabled a bid for him this summer, you wouldn’t have thought a move to the Championship would be that appealing.
At Celtic, the midfielder can play in the Champions League, whilst winning trophies on a regular basis. With that being the case, there is every chance that he will put pen to paper on a contract extension if it is offered to him in the coming weeks.
