Celtic playmaker Matt O’Riley will be pulling the strings in the English Premier League sooner rather than later amid interest from Newcastle United, Leicester City and Arsenal, former Denmark prospect Jonas Hebo Rasmussen tells TV2.
When ranking the very best signings of the Ange Postecoglou era at Parkhead, it’s never too long before Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada or Reo Hatate enter the discussion. But don’t underestimate just how inspired an arrival O’Riley was too.
Brought in from third-tier MK Dons for a bargain £1.5 million, the midfielder’s price-tag has increased ten-fold in the space of just 12 months. Ten fold, at least.
ESPN believe that Celtic would look for around £15 to £20 million if they were to cash in on O’Riley, with Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle and Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester among the clubs who could offer the Hoops an immediate and rather substantial profit.
Leicester, Newcastle, Manchester United and Arsenal like Celtic’s Matt O’Riley
“He himself has gone all in on the Danish national team. And after taking Celtic by storm, it probably won’t be long before he has to go to the Premier League,” Rasmussen says of the Hounslow-born schemer, who qualifies for Denmark via his mother’s family and was perhaps unfortunate to be left out of the Qatar World Cup squad.
“(A move to England) increases his chances of a place in the Danish national team.
“He is a box-to-box player with a good left foot and fine technique. His biggest challenge will probably be that he has to compete with his former team-mate in the U21s; Maurits Kjaegaard.”
O’Riley has featured four times for Denmark at U21 level. And, in contrast to Rasmussen, the one-time Fulham youngster believes that Celtic is the ‘perfect place to be’ for the time being; regular first-team football under Postecoglou helping to hone the outstanding technical ability he showed below the border at MK Dons.
‘Leicester and Newcastle showed a lot of interest’
O’Riley did admit, however, that links with both Leicester and Newcastle were more than mere speculation.
“I know that Leicester showed a lot of interest in me. And I think Newcastle were there too,” O’Riley told TipsBladet. “It’s great to get some recognition. It means that I’m doing well at Celtic. But as I say, Celtic is the perfect place for me right now. It’s a big club, we play in the Champions League, the fans are insanely good and the team is good.
“It’s a perfect place to be. I also think it’s a good place to be if I want to go to the World Cup with Denmark.”
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