The ball hasn't even cooled off from the convincing 4-0 win over Kilmarnock, and Celtic are already in the spotlight again, but this time off the pitch. The club's refusal to sign Matt O'Riley, even in the face of a tempting offer from Atalanta, according to Sky Sport, sends out a clear signal: the Hoops are more determined than ever to maintain their supremacy in the Scottish Premiership and defy expectations in the 2024/25 season. If any team really wants to take the Dane, they'll have to open the coffers to take a player who is the backbone of a team that, under Brendan Rodgers, has proved almost unbreakable.
Italy's Serie A, which is returning to the great games it once had and becoming more competitive, seems to have kept an eye on the talent that O'Riley showed last season. After all, a midfielder who has amassed 19 goals and 18 assists in 49 games doesn't go unnoticed. And it's no surprise that Atalanta have tried more than once to land the player. First came offers of £14 million, then £14.3 million and then £15 million. However, they were all rejected with a firm nod from Celtic officials.
O'Riley, at 23, is at the peak of his physical and mental form. His movement, especially down the right flank, is a nightmare for opponents with his good distribution of passes. He can still do better in attack, as he is still a player. However, he doesn't just excel offensively, he also helps out defensively, recovering balls and the midfielder's positional sense is as sharp as a blade. Celtic know that losing a player with these qualities, especially at the start of the season, could be too hard a blow for their ambitions, as it could take time to find someone with the same profile before the transfer market closes.
Having good players, as in the case of O'Riley, will help the Hoops maintain their hegemony in the Scottish Premiership, where they'll be looking to win the title four times and also defend the Scottish Cup and whatever else they can.
It's not an easy task, especially when you have opponents who are increasingly hungry to break the Hoops' dominance. Celtic, aware of this, recognize that having players of O'Riley's calibre on the pitch is not just an advantage, it's a necessity. Modern soccer is a war of attrition, where every move on the board needs to be precisely calculated. And having a key player like O'Riley in midfield gives Celtic a stability and creative ability that few other teams in the league can match.
In addition, there is a question of legacy. Celtic is a club with a rich history and a legacy to protect. With the Scottish Cup on the horizon and the ambition to win it twice, Rodgers and his team know that stability is the key to success. The pressure of staying at the top, both in the league and in cup competitions, demands that the Hoops keep their core of players intact, especially those who have shown consistency and impact, such as O'Riley.