Brendan Rodgers speaks out on Matt O’Riley transfer situation

Brendan is flexing his muscles on Matt O’Riley’s speculation; let’s hope the board agrees.

Brendan Rodgers spoke today about the speculation surrounding Matt O’Riley’s future following Atletico Madrid’s bid yesterday. The Irishman made it clear that Matt is a player he does not want to lose and will not be sold during this window.

That was exactly what fans wanted to hear following Atletico’s approach yesterday. Brendan, like the rest of the Celtic fan base, does not want to lose any of their most important players at any time, let alone this late in the transfer window and at this stage of the season.

They have a title to win, and they need players like Matt to help us achieve it. Brendan understands better than most how important it is to have the strongest squad available heading into the second half of the season. If he is to succeed in his goal of winning the Scottish Premiership, he will need the necessary tools. Selling one of their most valuable assets would be a significant setback to his plans to successfully defend the title.

Let’s hope the Celtic board agrees with Brendan and rejects any offers for players like Matt, regardless of the price. The offer from Atletico Madrid appears to be significantly lower than Celtic’s valuation, but we also learned today that English Premier League clubs are interested in Matt O’Riley. Can we assume that even if the club’s valuation is met at this point, the club will still reject all offers?

If not, we can assume a storm is brewing over Celtic Park, especially after Brendan’s assurances today that Matt O’Riley will not be sold during this window. Here is what Brendan said at his press conference:

“There was (an offer) but Matt is a player we don’t want to lose and he won’t be going anywhere in January. It’s a great testament to him and what the club can do for a player. He won his first international cap this season and Atletico Madrid are a big club in European football.

“But he is very much part of what we are doing. He has been a joy to work with and I had a good chat with Matt on Thursday morning and he is someone who will be here for us in the second part of the season,” the Celtic manager stated.

Brendan also confirmed that Atletico’s bid was “nowhere near” Celtic’s valuation of the player, who shone against the Spanish side in a 2-2 Champions League draw at Celtic Park.

He added: “He had an opportunity in the summer but he was very happy to extend here and obviously Atletico Madrid is a huge club but he also knows he is in a great place here. He has really kicked on this season and he wants to continue with that.”

When asked if it would take a special offer to persuade Celtic to sell any key players this month, Brendan Rodgers responded:

“They won’t be going, it’s as simple as that. January is a difficult month anyway, whether it’s bringing players in or looking to sell players. It’s not something we want to do. We have no interest in that.”

Listen to Brendan’s media conference below.👇

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