'Unwilling to sell' - Celtic take firm stance on midfielder following £10m offer
Brendan Rodgers’ has already lost Matt O’Riley to Brighton and obviously ins’t keen on parting with another key player before Deadline Day.
We are now in the final 48 hours of the summer transfer window meaning clubs are now up against the clock to try and get any more deals over the line.
As is always the case there are likely to be a few last minute surprises with bids springing up seemingly out of nowhere and players making last minute dashes across the country and continent to complete medicals and sign contracts. However, Celtic will be one club who are hoping for a relatively calm end to transfer proceedings.
The Hoops had already secured permanent deals for loanees Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah and also brought in goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo before announcing the loan signing of Barcelona defender Álex Valle yesterday. There is also the small matter of the £25 million they received for midfielder Matt O’Riley from Brighton & Hove Albion.
However, the sale of the Danish international will seemingly dictate a large part of Celtic’s approach to the final days of the transfer window. A report from the Daily Mail claims that the Scottish Champions are ‘unwilling to sell’ fellow midfielder Reo Hatate after receiving a £10 million offer from an unnamed French club.
The report adds that ‘an enquiry from Russian side Zenit St Petersburg was also rejected last month, while English Premier League side Leicester City failed to firm up their interest with a formal offer.’ It is claimed that the selling of O’Riley means that the Hoops won’t consider parting company with another key player this window.
The 26-year old is under contract at Celtic Park until 2028 and is said to be in ‘no rush’ to leave the club. He has already scored two goals this season meaning he is just one away from equalling his total of three from his last campaign.