Matt O'Riley: Position, transfer fee, style of play, stats & more

Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley has been in demand all summer and it looks like the Danish star could be heading to the Premier League with several clubs interested.

O'Riley has been the subject of transfer speculation for much of the summer with clubs abroad and at home keeping a close eye on him.

The 23-year-old, who was born in London and represented England at youth level before switching his international allegiance to Denmark, was one of the Hoops' standout performers last season, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, while he weighed in with a hugely-impressive 18 assists.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has acknowledged there is significant interest in O'Riley but has stressed he wants to keep the former Fulham youngster, who joined Celtic from MK Dons in 2022, at Parkhead.

The latest reports say Chelsea have now entered the race to sign him, while Southampton have held an interest all summer and other top-flight clubs like Brighton and Crystal Palace, along with Italian outfit Atalanta and Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, are also keen.

Here is everything you need to know about Celtic's Matt O'Riley.

Matt O'Riley age, nationality & background

O'Riley is 23 and was born in Hounslow in London. He played for England at Under-16 and Under-18 level but accepted a call-up to Denmark's Under-21 squad in March 2022 as he's eligible to play for them through his mother, who is Danish.

Transfer fee

So far, none of the interested clubs have agreed a fee with Celtic for the midfielder, but it is thought the Scottish champions want at least £25 million for him.

Contract and salary

If O'Riley was to move on, he would demand a competitive contract and salary at his new club. He is under contract at Celtic until May 2027, having penned a four-and-a-half-year deal when he made the move north of the border.

What to expect from Matt O'Riley

Height and build

O'Riley is 6ft 2ins and the tall, elegant, slim midfielder is usually able to handle himself and any physical challenge that comes his way without any problems.

Preferred foot

The Celtic star is predominantly right-footed.

Style of play

Confident on the ball, O'Riley is the sort of central midfielder who can dictate games with his passing.

He plays at a quick tempo and is always looking to start attacks, while he loves to get forward and be involved in the final third too, as his goal and assists stats testify.

Stats

Metric	Total (per 90)	Top 5 Leagues rank
Goal-creating actions	0.74	Top 1%
Dribblers tackled	1.74	Top 4%
Through balls	0.56	Top 2%
xA	0.31	Top 1%
Key Passes	2.78	Top 2%

(Source: FBref.com based on comparison to positional peers across Europe's Top 5 Leagues).

Similar players to Matt O'Riley

• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
• Manuel Ugarte (PSG)
• Youssouf Fofana (Monaco)
• Toni Kroos (ex-Real Madrid)
• Joao Neves (Benfica)

(Source: FBref.com based on similar statistical profiles across Top 5 Leagues in past year)

Career so far

Previous clubs

O'Riley was picked up by the Fulham academy at the age of eight and played for the Cottagers' boys sides for several years but only ever made one senior appearance for the club, in August 2017 as a 16-year-old in a 2-0 EFL Cup first-round away win over Wycombe.

He joined MK Dons in 2021 and scored 10 goals in 54 first-team appearances before a switch to Celtic in January 2022 for a reported £1.5 million.

International caps

After deciding to play for Denmark, O'Riley won four caps at Under-21 level, scoring one goal, and he has two senior Danish caps.

He earned his first senior Danish call-up in November 2023 and started his first game for his adopted country that month when featuring in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Northern Ireland.

What could he bring to Chelsea or Southampton?

Chelsea are believed to be considering O'Riley as a possible replacement for Conor Gallagher, who is being heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge.

He would certainly fit the criteria of the sort of player the Blues would be looking to sign to fill Gallagher's considerable void, namely an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal and someone who can also create chances in the opposition's box.

He would also bring plenty of experience, too. Despite being just 23, O'Riley made over 50 first-team appearances for MK Dons and he has racked up 121 senior appearances for Celtic.

It is thought O'Riley would be interested in returning to the south of England to be closer to family and a move to either Chelsea or Saints may suit, although he is likely to be tempted by any Premier League club, while overseas interest is also welcomed.

Clubs look to be queuing up for O'Riley because he is available at a relatively cheap fee at around £25 million compared to other players on the market.