Chris Sutton has his say on Matt O’Riley sale, it is Shocking

Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley is on the verge of being announced as a Brighton player this weekend after the Bhoys agreed a fee with the English Premier League side.

Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sports have both reported that a transfer has been agreed in principle.

Good luck to Matt O’Riley if he goes. He’s conducted himself brilliantly. Celtic will be weaker without him. I get Celtic are a development club and it will be “can’t stand in the players way”. I get that but the club shouldn’t be weaker player wise than last season and they are!

— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) August 23, 2024

For the Danish international, Celtic is anticipated to receive an initial payment of £25 million. An additional £5 million in add-ons is expected to push the total package to record levels of £30 million.

Chris Sutton, a former Bhoys striker, has expressed doubts about Brendan Rodgers’ squad’s strength but acknowledges the rationale behind the transfer.

Celtic shouldn’t be any weaker, according to Chris Sutton.

The outspoken pundit wrote on the social media platform X, “Good luck to Matt O’Riley if he goes.” He’s carried himself with such grace. Without him, Celtic will be less strong.

I understand that Celtic is a development team and that they “cannot stand in the way of the player.” I understand that, but the team shouldn’t have less players than they did the previous year.
Many Celtics supporters will find resonance in Sutton’s point of view. While not everyone is concerned about how the transfer window has transpired, many are quite irate about the dearth of improvements.

The Bhoys have only made purchases to bolster the roster from the previous campaign thus far. The team is definitely weaker now that O’Riley is gone.

Celtic still have time to make significant acquisitions.

During his Friday media duties,  Rodgers restated his expectation that the current playing group will conclude business within the next seven days and reiterated his consistent call for adding more quality to the group.

There is definitely some pressure on the club’s recruitment team to perform well. However, there’s still time to gain some credit by emerging from the window.

Soon, a few defenders and a reliable O’Riley substitute will change the atmosphere, and there may even be a few more additions.