Liverpool transfers: Club must pay record fee to land Celtic star Matt O'Riley

Potential suitors for Celtic midfield sensation Matt O’Riley will have to pay a club record £25 million to land the Denmark international. 

That’s according to a new report in Teamtalk, which claims Atalanta remain frontrunners for the 23-year-old’s signature. 

Nonetheless a report earlier in the week stated that Liverpool were being kept ‘well informed’ about O’Riley’s situation with Atletico Madrid also named as suitors. 

Celtic banked around £25m for both Kieran Tierney and Jota when they were sold to Arsenal and Al-Ittihad respectively and it’s going to take a bigger offer than that to land the goalscoring midfielder. 

The Scottish champions are demanding an overall package worth more than £25m including bonuses and potential add-ons before they part ways with their star player. 

A No.8 by trade, O’Riley came through the ranks at the Fulham academy before joining MK Dons and moving on to Celtic in 2022. 

That means he would provide a crucial homegrown training spot to Liverpool in the event he was to join. 

O’Riley is under contract at Parkhead until 2027 having signed improved terms last summer. 

Atalanta look set to lose Liverpool target Teun Koopmeiners if Juventus manage to produce a €60m fee with midfield partner Ederson also admired by clubs around Europe including Liverpool. 

O’Riley is reported to be La Dea’s first choice to replace Koopmeiners, with Juventus also holding interest, but the Europa League holders have thus far not met Celtic’s valuation. 

It’s been reported that Atalanta bid €16m for O’Riley, which was knocked back, but are ready with another bid. 

Liverpool 'well informed' on O'Riley

The player is not expected to agitate for a move despite being keen on the Serie A switch and has been involved in the club’s pre-season programme under Brendan Rodgers. 

Last season he scored 19 goals and added 18 assists in 49 matches overall. He was on hand with an assist in the Champions League against Arne Slot’s Feyenoord as the Hoops picked up a group stage win against the Dutch side. 

O’Riley has also won two caps for the Denmark senior team but wasn’t included in their final Euro 2024 squad. 

Liverpool under Slot could opt to move for a senior option in midfield with Thiago Alcantara out of contract. 

West Ham, Everton and Leicester have all been named as potentially interested in the former England under-18 international.