Stephen McGowan believes that EPL clubs will join Atletico Madrid in the race to sign Matt O’Riley.
The Daily Mail reporter has a strong track record on Celtic transfer business with the midfielder impressing in the Champions League and earning his first full cap for Denmark in the first half of the season.
Despite extending his Celtic contract in September it seems only a matter of time before O’Riley is sold with a summer exit slightly easier for the Celtic support to accept.
In the Daily Mail, McGowan reports:
Atletico Madrid are prepared to shell out £20million to land Matt O’Riley from Celtic in the summer.
Hamstrung by Financial Fair Play considerations, the Spanish giants want to sign the Parkhead midfielder on loan this month with an obligation to buy in the summer.
Mail Sport understands, however, that English Premier League sides are preparing to trigger a bidding war for the Danish international in the final week of the window.
While 23-year-old O’Riley is flattered by the interest of Diego Simeone, he won’t push for a move.
And, with little time left to line up a replacement  before the end of January, Celtic have no desire to lose the man who has been their strongest performer this season.
With Nicolas Kuhn the only addition to his squad so far the last thing that Rodgers needs is to lose a key player like O’Riley when his side are involved in a close battle for the SPFL title.
Two years ago Ange Postecoglou trusted his judgement when he went into League One to sign O’Riley from MK Dons.
Within three matches Celtic were top of the SPFL with the new signing fitting in perfectly alongside Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor.
The remainder of the transfer window looks like being a worrying time for Celtic fans as they fear another exit following the summer exits of Jota and Carl Starfelt.
Lawwell’s got to go . Both of them.
And that will be 5 ‘quality’ players needed for the squad,
…that we’ll never get?
We know Ange phoned Matt O’Riley and got a favorable response. With Riley McGee it was an emphatic No.
When Brendan turned up; within a month, Matt was quoted in a paper as saying, Brendan Rodgers appearance
as Manager was “Like a breath of fresh air”. If true I did not think what he said was fair to Ange. I think Alistair J
liked that Brendan had meals with the players at Lennoxtown. Ange did not, Players have to be circumspect in what they say. Tottenham will not be in a bidding contest for Matt O’R.
When it comes to Celtic it’s just all bad news with this wee w*nker McGowan and he’s the one that seems to be keeping the Abada wants out / Palestine / Green Brigade story going and going