Celtic 'ready to reject' Matt O'Riley Atletico Madrid transfer bid - but club braced for more offers

Celtic are reportedly prepared to knock back a bid from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid for star midfielder Matt O'Riley - but are bracing themselves for more offers.

Sky Sports claimed the Spanish outfit have made the first move by submitting a loan offer until the end of the season with an obligation to buy in the summer but the Scottish Sun have now indicated that the Scottish champions are ready to reject the approach.

It has been suggested the bid would involve a loan fee being paid now in full then further payments beyond that which could rise to £20million. However, it would have to be a record figure to convince the Hoops to sell their prized asset during the January window with the Scottish Premiership title race in full swing.

O'Riley is under contract at Parkhead until 2027 and has 10 goals and 12 assists to his name this season across all competitions including in the Champions League. His performances have drawn plenty of admirers from across Europe, with current La Liga pacesetters Girona and Serie A outfit Inter Milan recently credited with an interest.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has made it clear he wants to keep hold of the Danish international and was confident the 23-year-old will stick around until the end of the season at least when asked if he'd heard of any interest last week. The Hoops are in the market to sign new players and would need to strengthen before weighing up if they want to sell any first-team stars.

Atletico manager Diego Simeone is looking to bolster his midfield options in this window and a deal worth up to £23m has been already agreed for Royal Antwerp star Arthur Vermeeren. A move for Juventus attacker Moise Kean is also being lined up, meaning there could be little funds remaining to splash out on O'Riley now.