Southampton have been dealt a significant blow in their pursuit of Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, after seeing their initial bid rejected by Celtic, according to The Sun (via Daily entry).
Saints face a crucial pre-season as they prepare for their return to the Premier League. Despite finishing fourth in the Championship table, Saints beat Leeds United 1-0 in the play-off final to secure promotion, marking their return to the top flight after being relegated in 2023.
The south coast club have already made significant moves in the transfer market, completing eight permanent signings. The most notable addition is former player Adam Lallana, who joins on a free transfer from Brighton. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who impressed on loan last season, has been acquired permanently from Manchester City. Flynn Downes joined from West Ham earlier this month.
Record Sport recently revealed that the Premier League newcomers were preparing a blockbuster £20m (US$25.5m) bid for Danish international Matt O’Riley, and it appears they have put their initial offer on the table – which has been promptly rejected by Celtic.
Southampton manager Russell Martin is a big admirer of the attacking midfielder. It remains to be seen whether the Saints will make a second attempt to sign the Scottish Premier League star, but they face stiff competition for their transfer target.
All the latest Premier League club news | Premier League team fixtures for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings
Serie A giants Atalanta have already received three bids from Brendan Rodgers’ side. The Europa League champions’ latest offer, valued at 14.4 million pounds ($18.5 million), was made public late last week but fell short of Celtic’s asking price of 25 million pounds ($32 million).
The Serie A side are likely to further increase their offer before the Scottish Premier League kicks off on Sunday.
