Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham Untied in recent weeks.
Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are thought to be keen on Matt O’Riley. But the versatile 22-year-old midfielder is committed to Celtic and is not considering an exit anytime soon according to Dean Jones from Give Me Sport.
The Danish international has been a key player for Celtic, and his performances have attracted the attention of the Premier League clubs. It is no surprise that Tottenham, West Ham United, and others are hoping to sign him in the coming months. But it seems that the 22-year-old wants to continue his development with regular football at the Scottish club for now.
Jones claims that the midfielder is likely to test himself in the Premier League at some point but that he is in no hurry to leave the Scottish club just yet. O’Riley will add creativity and goals to the Tottenham midfield if he joins the club.
“It’s no surprise that O’Riley is hitting the radar of teams like Brentford. You can imagine him fitting into various teams in the top flight who play a specific way, especially if their signings are stats-driven, and they’ve been closely monitoring what O’Riley has been putting up at Celtic recently.”
“He is a really impressive player who has been working really hard to get back to this standard of football. Obviously, it would be a strange one if he did end up at Brentford given he started his career down the road at Fulham.”
“At some point, he is going to test himself in the Premier League. I don’t personally think it will be just yet. I think he is genuinely committed to what Celtic are doing right now. But, at some point, he is going to get a temptation to go to the Premier League and prove himself there. It’ll be interesting when that time comes because I think that there will be quite a lot of competition to sign him.”
Tottenham could certainly use someone like him, especially if they decide to cash in on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg during the January transfer window. The Denmark international has fallen down the pecking order at Tottenham and needs to move on in search of regular playing time.
On the other hand, West Ham could use more creativity in the middle of the park. The 22-year-old would add goals, creativity and technical ability at the heart of West Ham’s midfield. The Hammers have already addressed the lack of creativity in their midfield by signing James Ward-Prowse during the summer transfer window, and the arrival of the Celtic midfielder will only help them improve further.
Both Premier League clubs will have the financial muscle to get the deal done. But it remains to be seen whether they decide to test the waters for the 22-year-old in January with an official proposal.
The opportunity to join a Premier League club can be quite tempting for most players, and the Celtic midfielder could have his head turned if there is a lucrative proposal on the table. Tottenham and West Ham have started the season well and they will look to push for a successful season.
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Tottenham will want to return to the UEFA Champions League and West Ham will be eyeing UEFA Europa League qualification. Signing the right players in January could help them finish the season strongly.
