Former Hoops ace fears one Celtic star is destined to leave Parkhead in 2024

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Former Celtic defender Mark Wilson fears that this will be Matt O’Riley’s last season at the Scottish Premiership giants with the Denmark international going from strength to strength under Brendan Rodgers.

Celtic rejected an ambitious £10 million bid from Leeds United at the end of the summer (The Sun). And, in truth, you’d be lucky to get even Matt O’Riley’s weaker right leg for that these days.

Since Leeds’ offer came and went, the former Fulham youngster has become a full international with Denmark, has added goals to his game, and is making a splash on the Champions League stage too with a ‘beautiful’ assist against Spanish giants Atletico Madrid the obvious standout.

Following a season of such progress, Wilson fears that O’Riley is bound to become the latest in a series of big-money Celtic departures.

Is Matt O’Riley’s time at Celtic coming to an end?

“I think there is a good chance that he will go,” Wilson, a three-time Scottish Premiership champion between 2006 and 2008, tells the Daily Record. 

“I say that as Celtic knocked back a substantial bid this summer. £10 million. Now, he’s a full international. And, on the back of the six months he’s had from summer to now, you see him getting better.

“I just think someone will recognise that. I think people will already have recognised that. It will take a big bid and I think it will be a lot of money. But my fear is Matt O’Riley won’t be at Celtic at the start of next season.” 

Interest from Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham

At £1.5 million from third-tier MK Dons, O’Riley is one of Celtic’s best pound-for-pound signings in the modern era. And that is saying something given that Moussa Dembele, Victor Wanyama and Virgil van Dijk all passed through Parkhead. 

The elegant, left-footed playmaker has six goals and seven assists already this term. A ‘goal contribution’ every 1.3 games under Rodgers.

Clubs the size of Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle have all been linked with O’Riley at various points. According to The Sun, there is a chance that the London-born Dane could eventually be reunited with former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur too.