Celtic turn down second bid for star as ex-Aberdeen defender set to sign for Europa League contenders

Matt O'Riley is the subject of interest from a number of European clubs. | Getty Images

Scottish champions Celtic have turned down a second major bid for in-demand central midfielder Matt O’Riley.

Sky Sports News understands that the Hoops have rejected Atalanta’s offer of an initial £14.3m fee, plus add-ons. The two clubs remain in talks over a potential deal, but as it stands there is still a major gap in valuation, with Celtic wanting a figure of around £25m to £30m for their standout performer.

O'Riley scored 19 goals and provided 18 assists in 49 appearances for Brendan Rodgers' side last season. In the process, he helped the club to back-to-back Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup triumph despite stiff competition from arch-rivals Rangers.

The 23-year-old’s performances have also earned him interest from Italian giants Juventus and Roma while Atletico Madrid, who made a £20m bid to sign the star in January, are also believed to be watching the situation closely as they consider yet another bid.

O’Riley has been a major part of Celtic’s team since his arrival from MK Dons in January 2022. He is under contract at Parkhead until the summer of 2027, which means that Celtic are reluctant to sell him unless their valuation is met this summer.

The Danish international recently captained the team to a 4-0 pre-season friendly win over DC United and manager Brendan Rodgers claims he is very relaxed over the situation.

"There's no update. We're fairly relaxed," Rodgers said. "He's working very well, he's very focused and, naturally, when you're a really good player and especially a young player who's as committed and professional as he is, he's going to acquire attention.

"He's working so well and there's nothing really to report.

"The people close to Celtic understand the model that works. Matt's been at the club for three years and developed into the player that he has. He knows the privilege it is to play for Celtic and, naturally, how it works is the players get that opportunity to move on. Celtic is a club where you can move on - but you don't have to. It's a very difficult club to move on from.

"With the wages that are on offer for players, that makes it a real challenge to compete at that level. What I've seen with Matt is that he's a first-class professional. He's a really humble guy who is devoted to his profession and he knows what he has here, so we're all quite relaxed.

"Every player has a value, but we see him as a really important player for us and while he is here, we'll continue to develop him and help him improve."

Former Aberdeen defender closes in on European move

Former Aberdeen centre back David Bates is on the verge of joining the 10th club of his career. 

The 27-year-old defender has had a nomadic career since progressing through the Raith Rovers academy and he has already played for the likes of Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, Hamburger and most recently K.V. Mechelen in the Belgian Pro League.

Bates is expected to remain in Belgium this summer, and after impressing in Antwerp is closing in on a move to one of the division’s biggest clubs in Standard Liege for a reported figure of £631,000.

 Liege finished 12th in the league last season but have traditionally been one of most successful teams in the country. Overall, they have won 10 league titles and have been in the top-flight without interruption since 1921, the longest of any team in the league.

Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad states that Bates has already emptied his locker in Mechelen over the past weekend and add that he arrived in Liège to take his medical tests on Monday.