Celtic have received an offer from Atletico Madrid for midfielder Matt O’Riley, reports Sky Sports News’ Lyall Thomas and Anthony Joseph; the bid is believed to be an initial loan plus an obligation to buy; Girona and Inter Milan are also understood to be interested in the player
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Matt O’Riley showed incredible technique to score this volley in Celtic’s 4-1 win over Hearts in October
Celtic have received a bid from Atletico Madrid for Matt O’Riley.
Sky Sports News understands the offer is an initial loan plus an obligation to buy.
Celtic have been braced for bids for the highly-rated midfielder this month amid interest from the likes of Girona and Inter Milan.
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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said he was not aware of interest in midfielder O’Riley as he outlined his January transfer plans
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The Scottish Premiership club tied him up on a new bumper four-year contract last year and therefore believe they are in a strong position.
Manager Brendan Rodgers sees O’Riley as a key member of his squad.
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O’Riley said he is proud to play for Celtic after scoring on his 100th appearance for the club against St Mirren
What the stats say
Sky Sports’ Adam Smith
Factfile
Name: Matt O’Riley
Club: Celtic
Age: 23
Position: Central midfielder
Nationality: Denmark
International caps: 1
Former clubs: Fulham & MK Dons
The Celtic midfielder excels across a raft of stats and ranks behind only Rangers full-back James Tavernier in the Sky Sports Power Rankings for the Scottish Premiership this season.
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No player in the league has scored more goals from open play, won more possession in the final third or made more touches in the opposition box this term, while the 23-year-old also ranks behind only team-mate Luis Palma for assists.
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The graphic below reveals how the Denmark international is typically more prolific from right-of-centre areas and frequently gets into goalscoring positions in and around the six-yard box – but also isn’t shy of taking a shot from distance.
In terms of creativity, O’Riley is prolific from corners and from just outside the box in his centre-right region with through balls and raking passes.
The maps below highlight the midfielder’s all-round contribution with touches spanning the entire pitch, with greater concentrations of activity and defensive actions down his right-hand side.
In terms of passing, O’Riley is most active just inside the opposition half and byline, while also drifting into central areas outside the D. The direction and accuracy sonar also reveals how the midfielder is ambitious with forward passes.
O’Riley is arguably Celtic’s standout performer and has been on the radar of rival powerhouse clubs for some time. The radar graphic below summarises why: he ranks in Europe’s top five per cent for almost every key attacking metric.
Follow the January transfer window
The winter transfer window is now open and will close at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland on Thursday 1 February.
To ensure harmonisation with the major leagues in Europe, the closing dates were set following discussions with the EFL, DFL, Serie A, LaLiga, and LFP, who will all close their summer and winter windows on 1 September and 1 February respectively.
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms, while you can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News, including daily transfer shows, and listen to our Transfer Talk podcast.
Sourse: skysports.com
