Rodgers eyes £10m 'sensation' for Celtic transfer as star in line to 'shatter' Hoops record held by Tierney

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers already has his eyes set on a possible Matt O’Riley replacement - with Brighton moving in for the midfielder.

It has been reported by the Daily Mail that the Premier League side “are prepared to shatter the Scottish transfer record” in order to sign the Hoops’ prized asset. O’Riley has been subject of intense transfer rumours all summer and now the Seagulls “are confident of securing a deal to land the coveted midfielder.”

Since joining from MK Dons in 2022, O’Riley has turned into a key man within Celtic’s midfield. Europa League winners Atalanta have had bids turfed out already this summer and now it’s Brighton who have moved into the hotseat for his signature. It’s claimed the English side see no issues in topping the Scottish transfer record currently held by Kieran Tierney's £25m move to Arsenal from Celtic in 2019.

Jota left Glasgow for a similar fee last year to Al Ittihad. A replacement could come in the form of rising Augsburg star Arne Engels, but he will cost a pretty penny. It’s claimed in the Daily Record “Augsburg sensation Arne Engels is near the top of the list and the Hoops have already held tentative talks with representatives of the 20-year-old – who could cost up to £10m.”

Rodgers said on O’Riley after Sunday’s 3-1 win over Hibs in the Premier Sports Cup: “His mentality is phenomenal. He's a player that's continued to grow and you see the confidence that he's playing the game with. I still think we need another player in that position. If he was to go, we'd need two more.

“I will need to speak to the board. There's a lot of work going on and there's lots that we need to do. We know where we want to strengthen and I'm pretty hopeful that we can do that.”