Celtic star wanted by Chelsea deemed better than £30m Man Utd ace as pundit says 'I'd be bidding for him'

Heavyweight clubs have been told Matt O’Riley has a ceiling to smash through, as his Celtic form catches attention.

Chelsea are the latest club linked with the midfielder who shone during a 4-0 win over Kilmarnock at the weekend. Atalanta, Southampton and several other sides across Europe have been linked with taking one of Celtic’s prized assets off their hands.

Scott McTominay at Man Utd has been rumoured to be wanted in a £30m switch to Fulham. Former Scotland international and Celtic star John Collins rates O’Riley higher than the Old Trafford midfielder, and amid the Chelsea speculation, says he’d get bidding for the Hoops man if he was a big club.

Speaking on Sportsound, he said: “Would Celtic laugh £15million out the door? You talk about Scott McTominay being £30million. If I was analysing it, I like Scott McTominay, but I think Matt O'Riley's a better player.

“I think Matt O'Riley has more in his locker than Scott McTominay. Does McTominay make better passes forward? No. Is he better at set-piece deliveries? I don't think so. Does he score more goals? No.

“Does he create more goals? Okay, (O'Riley) is playing in Scottish football but when I'm watching Matt O'Riley I see a player with good balance, his head's up all the time and if he's playing with even better players in front of him he can pick passes left, right, through the middle.

“What else he can do is play it around corners, bounce it off centre-forwards, get strikes at the edge of the box. And he's only 23-years-old with a good attitude. If I was a big club out there I'd be bidding for him.”