EXCLUSIVEBrighton ready to break Scottish transfer record to land O’Riley

EXCLUSIVEBrighton ready to break Scottish transfer record to land O’Riley

20:22 BST 19 Aug 2024, updated 00:04 BST 20 Aug 2024By Stephen Mcgowan And Calum Crowe

Seagulls target Denmark international and are prepared to pay in excess of £25million to get their man

Atalanta out of the race for O’Riley after Celtic stood firm over their valuation of the midfielder

O’Riley deal could pave the way for Brighton and Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour to complete his move to Napoli 

Brighton are prepared to shatter the Scottish transfer record to land Celtic star Matt O’Riley — and are confident of securing a deal to land the coveted midfielder.

O’Riley has been the subject of multiple bids over the summer, the most recent of which came from Europa League winners Atalanta just last week.

But a succession of lowball offers from the Serie A side, the last of which was £21.5million plus a further £2m in add-ons, fell short of Celtic’s £25m valuation of the 23-year-old Danish international.

It was announced over the weekend that Atalanta have instead signed Serbian midfielder Lazar Samardzic from Udinese after dropping their interest in O’Riley.

Brighton have now tendered a formal bid to Celtic — and Mail Sport understands the Premier League side are prepared to top the £25m Arsenal paid for Kieran Tierney.

Sources have indicated that O’Riley’s £25m price tag won’t be an issue and are confident that both clubs can now thrash out a deal.

O’Riley has been the subject of transfer speculation all summer and is expected to move soon

The midfielder has continued to play his part as a series of bids from Atalanta were kicked out

New Brighton boss Hurzeler has set his sights on the Daneas he reshapes his Seagulls squad

O’Riley remains under contract until 2027 and has shown no signs of agitating for a move, with boss Brendan Rodgers speaking highly of his attitude and professionalism.

The in-demand midfielder was the subject of a failed bid from Atletico Madrid back in January and has also drawn strong interest from Southampton.

O’Riley was part of the Celtic team which beat Hibs 3-1 to reach the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals on Sunday — and Rodgers was asked about his situation as well as recruitment as a whole.

‘His mentality is phenomenal,’ said Rodgers. ‘He’s a player that’s continued to grow and you see the confidence that he’s playing the game with.

‘I still think we need another player in that position. If he was to go, we’d need two more.

‘I will need to speak to the board. There’s a lot of work going on and there’s lots that we need to do. We know where we want to strengthen and I’m pretty hopeful that we can do that.’

Should Brighton go on and clinch a deal for O’Riley, that could pave the way for Billy Gilmour to depart the Seagulls and join Napoli.

BrightonGilmour celebrates with Adingra after the Brighton forward scored against EvertonAdvertisement

The Scotland midfielder has been identified as a key target for new Napoli boss Antonio Conte, with the Italians making an official approach last week.

Brighton had been undecided on Gilmour’s future as they adjusted to life under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

The Scot came off the bench as a substitute on Saturday as Brighton kicked off their Premier League campaign with a terrific 3-0 win away at Everton.

Meanwhile, Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers insists the Parkhead club are in a much stronger position than they were 12 months ago — and believes the best is yet to come.

Celtic have started well in the new campaign, beating Hibs 3-1 on Sunday afternoon to move into the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.

Rodgers’ side also sit top of the Premiership after winning their opening two games, backing up their impressive wins over Chelsea and Man City in pre-season.

O’Riley celebrates with Maeda after the Japanese scored his second against Hibernian

Carter-Vickers said: ‘Our performance so far have been good, as well as the ones in pre-season. ‘It’s early, so it’s just about continuing to try to work and try to improve.

‘Since it’s the manager’s second year now, I think it’s only natural that the more time he gets with the group, the more he can implement the way he wants to play and the way he wants to train and work.

‘I think we’re definitely capable of more. We’ve started well, it’s kind of been a continuation from pre-season, but hopefully as the season goes on and we continue to work together, we’ll improve and get better.

‘It’s all good doing it in the first three, four, five games, but the key is consistency. If we can maintain that level and improve a little bit throughout the season, then that would be great.’

Clubs line up to sign former Celtic £25m export

A number of clubs are vying to sign former Celtic star Jota in the final weeks of the transfer window. The 25-year-old has struggled since swapping Scotland for Saudi and it appears that both he and Al Ittihad are keen for parties to part ways.

Reports from France have suggested that a number of teams are keen on the player, namely Rennes and Marseille. However, the major stumbling block for any suitor is the attacker’s wage packet, which is reportedly close to £200k.

🚨 Marseille and Stade Rennais are both targeting a deal to sign Jota from Al-Ittihad. 🇵🇹

(Source: @MohamedTERParis) pic.twitter.com/VOs2XP2Rgw

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 19, 2024

French outlet SportZone claims that Wolves and Sporting Lisbon are vying for the signature of the player with Jorge Mendes pulling the strings.
Jota has made just 22 appearances in all competitions in Saudi, scoring four goals and assisting once. The form and (lack of) adulation in the Saudi Pro League is a far cry from his time at Celtic, where he produced extraordinary moments in the Hoops. During a recent meeting with Celtic fans in Lisbon, Jota said that he wasn’t sure but that he loved Celtic when asked if he was coming back.

During two years in Glasgow, Jota 83 appearances for Celtic as they won five trophies. In those games, he scored 28 goals and assisted on 26 occasions, which resulted in links to a number of clubs.

Born just as Celtic were stopping the Ten, Lubo98 follows Celtic home and away and helps run his local Celtic Supporters Club. He goes to all the games and is a Law Graduate. Has a particular fondness for Tom Rogic among the current Celts and both Lubo and Henrik form his earliest Celtic memories.

Motherwell signing plans chat with Celtic boss Rodgers after prior praise as Rangers hero provides move advice

Tawanda Maswanhise | Motherwell Times

He has signed for Motherwell after time at Leicester City.

Tawanda Maswanhise hopes to catch a word with Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers after his move to Motherwell – as he opens up on the potential of an extended Fir Park stay.

The attacker impressed off the bench against Kilmarnock in a 1-0 Premier Sports Cup last 16 win on Sunday, providing a cross for Moses Ebiye to head an extra-time winner home. He joins Stuart Kettlewell’s team after time in the Leicester City academy, where Celtic boss Rodgers was impressed during his time in charge of the Foxes.

Rodgers said in 2021 after including him in his Premier League squad for a match against Man Utd: “He’s a young player I like. I’ve seen him playing for the Under-18s. He’s quick, he’s direct. He’s got a lot of strengths and he’s got a lot of potential, but a lot of work to do.

“Bringing in young players, like we’ve done with Luke before, it gives them the experience. To feel the preparation, to sit on the bench, to see the quality of the players, it gives him a flavour of the level and preparation he needs to be here. That was the idea.”

Motherwell don’t face Celtic until October but Maswanhise wants to show his ex-gaffer how much he has improved while in claret and amber. He said: “I was always in and out but it was good when I was getting coached by Brendan. He taught me a lot to be fair.

“I’ll have a word with him. Hopefully it’s positive and a little catch-up would be nice. I was a young 18-year-old when he brought me into the team and now I am 21. I am a lot faster, stronger and a bit smarter.”

Another helpful voice in helping him get a handle on life at Motherwell was Calvin Bassey. The defender joined Rangers fresh out the Foxes academy, going on to become an Ibrox favourite on their run to the 2022 Europa League final. Rangers then sold him in a deal worth almost £23m to Ajax.

Maswanhise said: “I am good mates with Calvin and his story was quite good. His journey, did well at Rangers, got his move, but it’s been good so far. (He told me) be aware of the shouting from behind, the grief, the physicality here is quite strong. I’ll get used to it.”

Kettlewell was impressed by the forward in bounce matches and training, before handing him a six-month deal with the option to extend. When asked if he wanted to stay at Fir Park past his initial terms, Maswanhise left that in the hands of the manager, as he opened up on his move and a tough introduction in a friendly vs Everton.

He added: “It’s the gaffer’s choice. If he wants to keep me in the team, I want to assist and score goals etc. Hopefully that can go through. It’s been a long process over the summer, training by myself. It’s not been easy coming in, going into full-time after having a big break. But it’s been good, I’ve been keeping up with the lads and getting to know them as well. It’s been good.

“There was a friendly against Everton last week. I got the call the night before the game, playing against top Premier League players. Idrissa Gana Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucouré just running me about, but got there in the end!

“I don’t think Scotland was in mind. I wanted to stay in England, but the options were getting wider as the transfer window opened. My first day or night was that first game so it was a nice welcome. All the players are nice. It’s been good, nobody has given me grief yet so hopefully it stays like this.”

Celtic transfer news bulletin as Matt O’Riley replacement lined up and Hoops ready to resist late Hatate swoops

The latest on O’Riley as Brighton accelerate their interest in the Celtic playmaker

Celtic are braced for Matt O’Riley’s exit after Brighton ramped up the bidding war for the Parkhead playmaker – and they have a contingency plan in place if he does leave.

The English Premier League outfit have made their move to open talks over a £25m plus move for the Denmark international. Celtic won’t allow O’RIley to leave on the cheap after seeing off several attempts rom Serie A Atalanta – with the Italians eventually giving up the chase following a final bid of around £20m. Brighton will have no problems meeting the asking price and the Hoops understand it will be difficult if the 23-year-old is sweet on the switch.

O’Riley has insisted he is in no hurry to leave Celts but has long term ambitions of playing in one of Europe’s major leagues, having already attracted serious attention from Italy, Spain and Germany. Several other clubs in England are also in the hunt but Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls have shot to the front of the queue with less than a fortnight remaining in the window. Celts have been anticipating a major move for the star man – and have several alternatives lined up if the midfielder does depart.

Augsburg sensation Arne Engels is near the top of the list and the Hoops have already held tentative talks with representatives of the 20-year-old – who could cost up to £10m. Parkhead chiefs won’t baulk at the fee having already coughed up £8.5m up front for Adam Idah to return to Glasgow, with boss Brendan Rodgers admitted he is determined to channel his transfer kitty into quality rather than quantity.

The Irishman is also looking to hold on to other key men in his squad and the club are looking to resist any offers this summer for Reo Hatate, despite talk down south of interest from Leicester City. The Japan star also has long term hopes of playing in England but is understood to be focused on building his fitness this term after an injury hit campaign last time out. Meanwhile Hoops defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is looking to maintain Celtic’s blistering start to the season and fight for a clean sweep this term.

The USA cap was part of the Treble winning side under Ange Postecoglou and bounce back from injury to claim the Double last time out. Celts roared into the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup wit their win against Hibs at the weekend and Carter-Vickers is out to add the trophy to his collection after missing out 12 months ago.

He said: “Obviously, last season was disappointing in this competition, but every season you want to win every competition. The aims are no different to what they were last season or previous seasons, but it’s definitely one that we want to win this year.

“I think we’re definitely capable of more. We’ve started well, it’s kind of been a continuation from pre-season, but hopefully as the season goes on and we continue to work together, we’ll improve and get better. I

“It’s all good doing it in the first three, four, five games, but I think the key is consistency. If we can maintain that level and improve a little bit throughout the season, then that would be great.”

Carter-Vickers has been thrilled by Celtic’s blistering start to the campaign but warned there is more to come from Rodgers’s men.

He said: “I think so. Our performance so far have been good, as well as the ones in pre-season. It’s early, so for us it’s just about continuing to try to work and try to improve. That’s what we’ve been doing so far, and if we continue doing that we’ll be in a good place.

“Since it’s the manager’s second year now, I think it’s only natural that the more time he gets with the group, the more he can implement the way he wants to play and the way he wants to train and work.

“I think we’re in a good place. We haven’t had any injuries yet, we’re just continuing to crack away and try to get better.”

Celtic midfielder Daniel Kelly will move to Millwall this week, with a fee now agreed between the two clubs.

According to the Daily Record, Kelly is set to move to the Lions despite being offered a new deal to stay. Brendan Rodgers is believed to have been willing to increase the teenager’s wages by £5,000 per week, but that won’t be enough to convince him to stay in the SPFL.

It was revealed earlier this week he had agreed a move to Millwall in January. “Dan has agreed to join the club. A deal has been agreed and he has signed. He officially joins us in January,” Lions boss Neil Harris said on Tuesday. “He is a young player that we think has got huge potential. He is a very good player. When Dan first walks into the building he is not going to be someone that everyone should expect to go straight into the team.”

Instead, he’s now set to move to London this week, where the struggling Lions will pay around £400,000 plus add-ons to secure his early release. While the youngster signed a pre-contract with Neil Harris’s side this week with a view to a January move, he was set to play out the rest of his contract in the Lowland League with Celtic B. Millwall now want to speed up the process, hence the freshly-agreed terms.

After a tough start to the season, Harris clearly feels he needs the player sooner rather than later. It’s reported he is now in London, with a medical scheduled for the next couple of days. Representatives of the Lions are hoping that Kelly will be able to face Hull City in the Championship next weekend.

It’s been a frustrating summer for the player. He came through the youth ranks at Parkhead and has played for Scotland’s Under 19 side, but he turned down a fresh deal and was farmed out to play for their B team. This came after he broke into the first team picture last season, scoring in the 7-1 victory against Dundee in February.

Writer’s View

Kelly is a special talent who has had to make a big decision around his future. Hailing from East Kilbride, you could be forgiven for thinking that Celtic and Scotland would be the best place for him to develop, but he’s seemingly set on the bottom end of the Championship with Millwall.

They’ve made a big call also. £400,000 is not a small amount of money for a player they would have got much cheaper in January, but Harris might be a manager under pressure right now, given their poor start to the season. Perhaps he sees the central midfielder as a key part of his battle against relegation, which is where it feels the Lions might be fighting this season.

Millwall are now set to have a medical for Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga, according to a report from Football Insider. The Spurs defender was recalled from his loan spell at German club Augsburg today and is now set to spend the remainder of the campaign at Millwall after a…