Brendan Rodgers is delighted to have kept Matt O’Riley at Celtic following a £10 million bid from Leeds United while insisting that he felt the midfielder never ‘really’ wanted to leave.
As the dust settles on a frantic transfer summer at Elland Road, Leeds United can probably afford to toast a job well done, and a window well navigated. Daniel Farke and co retained Wilfried Gnonto, brought in a proven, prolific Championship goalscorer in Joel Piroe, got a number of high-earning underachievers off the wage bill, and strengthened their midfield with the signings of Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev.
But Leeds certainly didn’t have it all their own way. Particularly when scouring the market for midfield reinforcements. The Yorkshire giants were frustrated in their pursuit of Kenny McLean and Nadiem Amiri, while Celtic booted out an ambitious £10 million bid from Matt O’Riley in the final week of August (Sky Sports).
Leeds fail to sign Celtic playmaker Matt O’Riley
“It was an open conversation. I didn’t think we could afford to lose another starter and the club were very supportive of that. They were great,” Rodgers tells the Daily Record, explaining why he was so keen to keep O’Riley at the Premiership champions.
“We had obviously lost (Carl) Starfelt, and lost Jota and we knew Cameron Carter-Vickers was going to be out for a while. I didn’t feel we could lose another one.
“But, of course, that’s all on the player as well because, if the player really wants to move and pushes for it, then I’m also a believer that – if he doesn’t want to be here – then don’t be here. They are not the same player if they really, really want to go. I never got that feeling at all from Matt.
“He could have left here. With the greatest respect he could have earned significantly more money by leaving. But that is not everything for him.”
O’Riley in top form under Brendan Rodgers
O’Riley, once of Fulham, has kicked off the new campaign with some of the best performances of his career, scoring four goals in eight games already from the centre of the park.
Rodgers, however, knows all too well that there tends to be a shelf-life on the Celtic careers of promising young talent. O’Riley, meanwhile, has already confirmed interest from Newcastle United, and could soon became the latest in a long line of Parkhead stars lured away by the bright lights of the Premier League.
“I would love to (keep O’Riley long-term),” Rodgers adds. “But we have been here before, haven’t we? The experience tells me, when players are at a certain point (they might want to leave).
“He is in his third year now. Naturally, what happens at Celtic is that you improve and develop and then, you know….
“I am not wishing him out the door of course. But he is 22 years of age.”
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