Georgios Samaras has been speaking about his old club back in Glasgow and reckons that Celtic is set to lose our star man from this season in the summer as he’s reached his peak in a Celtic jersey and it’s best for both the player and the club to allow a big money transfer to go through.
No shortage of bidders
The former Celtic striker is of course talking about Matt O’Riley who was the subject of an £18m bid from Atletico Madrid in the January transfer window which was rejected by Celtic, who are looking for upwards of £25m for the Denmark international midfielder.
And Samaras doesn’t think that there will be a shortage of bidders willing to meet Celtic’s asking price for the former MK Dons midfielder who cost just £1.5m in the January 2022 transfer window.
100 per cent sure
“I’m 100 per cent sure Matt O’Riley will leave the club at the end of this season,” Samaras said, as reported by Daily Record. “He’s out. He had a great season last year, he’s had another fantastic season this time around, and we’re clearly seeing him develop year on year.
“He came from League One in England and he’s giving his team something every single week, he’s so talented. His goals, his assists, his general performances. I think he’s at the peak of his Celtic career. Now, the best thing for him, and the club, is to go and find the best offer for him in the summer.
Celtic have a very expensive asset
“He can play in any team, that’s for sure. OK, it would be more difficult to play for any of the top four in England, and he’s probably not ready yet to join those clubs – but I have no doubt in his ability to go and perform at a similar level in the Premier League. It’ll be a case of who can afford him…
“Celtic have a very expensive asset in Matt O’Riley, so I’ve no doubt they’ll get a huge transfer fee for him. And I’m not just talking about the Premier League, by the way; this is a guy who I could see in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy. Any of their big clubs, I can see him going and standing out anywhere in Europe.
Celtic know how to sell and they know how to buy
“Celtic sell expensive. In the last 15 years or so, clubs from all around Europe, and further, have spent big to sign Celtic players. I don’t know about the exact price, but I know it’ll be a lot for O’Riley. Celtic know how to sell and they know how to buy.
Won’t need to adapt to the pressure and expectation
“Ever since I’ve known the club, I’ve had nothing but confidence in them when it comes to selling players for the right price, and I’ve got no doubt they’ll do the same when it comes to Matt.
“The good thing for anyone leaving Celtic for a big club somewhere in Europe is that they won’t need to adapt to the pressure and expectation of a huge crowd, or the experience of playing European football, because they’ll have had all of that at Celtic.”
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