As a result of his stunning performances for Celtic, both Arsenal and Newcastle are keeping a close eye on Matt O’Riley.
It was TV2 who claimed that the Magpies have been scouting the Denmark Under-21 international, whereas Dean Jones revealed that the Gunners have watched him for many years.
If representatives from Arsenal or Newcastle were in attendance at Celtic Park last night, they surely left Glasgow impressed by O’Riley’s performance.
Arsenal & Newcastle O’Riley shines for Celtic
Unfortunately for Celtic, they were unable to record a win over the Ukrainian giants at Celtic Park as Ange Postecoglou watched his side draw 1-1 in Group F of the Champions League.
However, O’Riley covered himself in glory.
The 21-year-old won himself the official Champions League Man of the Match award, despite being used in a slightly deeper role than usual.
When explaining the decision, UEFA’s Technical Observer said: “He was excellent in central midfield as a playmaker in distributing passes. O’Riley was also defensively balanced, winning back possession and stopping counterattacks.”
Despite being used in a deeper role, the London-born playmaker actually had more shots than anyone else on the pitch with six efforts, including one attempt which curled just beyond the top left corner.
As WhoScored shows, O’Riley also completed three dribbles – again more than anyone else registered.
Defensively, the Celtic No.33 also put in a fine shift, recording four tackles – no player on the pitch won more.
It was an all-action display from the Arsenal and Newcastle target, who was unfortunate not to be on the winning side as a result of his exceptional efforts.
Celtic could receive millions from Arsenal or Newcastle for O’Riley
Some eyebrows were raised when Celtic paid £1.5m to sign O’Riley from MK Dons back in January, although he has taken to life at the highest level like a duck to water.
Very few players are able to make the transition from League One to the Champions League look so simple, and now, Celtic are in line to receive a massive return on their initial investment.
O’Riley is contracted to the Bhoys until the summer of 2026, so the Hoops find themselves in a strong negotiating position.
Keep an eye on this situation – if the Celtic maestro keeps performing like this, Postecoglou will surely struggle to keep him.
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