Southampton manager Russell Martin has admitted that he admires Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley as a player, and that the Saints could be “in the race” to land the Dane.
O’Riley has been linked with a move to the South Coast this summer, with the 23-year-old said to be ‘happy’ to complete a switch to St. Mary’s. However, the attacking midfielder has also been linked with the likes of Leeds, Tottenham and Atalanta, with no suitor yet offering Celtic’s reported £25 million valuation.
The ex-MK Dons man enjoyed an incredibly productive 2023/24 season, netting 18 goals and registering 13 assists in the Scottish Premiership. This fruitful campaign has inevitably attracted widespread interest, with Southampton regularly cited as the frontrunners to secure his signature, with Martin keen to reunite with his former player.
Martin ‘Likes’ O’Riley
Celtic are looking for a club-record sale
Developing through Fulham’s academy, O’Riley broke through into first team football while at MK Dons, working under Martin. The now Southampton boss made the Denmark international an integral part of his side in League One, with this eventually earning him a move to Celtic.
Described as a ‘monster’ by football analyst Ben Mattinson earlier this summer, the playmaker has gone onto make 123 appearances for the Bhoys, with the majority of his output coming in a prolific 2023/24 campaign. Southampton have been heavily linked with a move for O’Riley, in what has become a protracted transfer saga.
Speaking to the media in Thursday’s press conference ahead of the opening Premier League weekend, Martin revealed his fondness for the player:
“Yeah so, do I like him (O’Riley) as a person and as a player? I’ve worked with him before and yeah, of course. But it depends how you define ‘in the race’.
“I could say we’re in the race for lots of players because we like them or we’ve watched them or spoken to them, but it doesn’t mean we’re in the race. I don’t know who is in the race for Matt, I don’t know what being in the race means. So, yeah, we’ll have to wait and see.”
While Martin’s coy stance on being “in the race” may suggest the Saints are yet to make a concerted effort to sign the player, it’s clear that there is interest. Celtic are reportedly looking for a fee in excess of the £25 million they received for Jota last summer, who joined Saudi outfit Al-Ittihad in what was a record sale for the Scottish side.
| O’Riley’s Scottish Premiership Statistics 2023/24 | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 37 |
| Goals | 18 |
| Assists | 13 |
| Shots Per 90 | 2.9 |
| Key Passes Per 90 | 2.5 |
| Successful Dribbles Per 90 | 1 |
| Fouls Won Per 90 | 0.8 |
Southampton manager Russell Martin has admitted that he admires Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley as a player, and that the Saints could be “in the race” to land the Dane.
O’Riley has been linked with a move to the South Coast this summer, with the 23-year-old said to be ‘happy’ to complete a switch to St. Mary’s. However, the attacking midfielder has also been linked with the likes of Leeds, Tottenham and Atalanta, with no suitor yet offering Celtic’s reported £25 million valuation.
The ex-MK Dons man enjoyed an incredibly productive 2023/24 season, netting 18 goals and registering 13 assists in the Scottish Premiership. This fruitful campaign has inevitably attracted widespread interest, with Southampton regularly cited as the frontrunners to secure his signature, with Martin keen to reunite with his former player.
Martin ‘Likes’ O’Riley
Celtic are looking for a club-record sale
Developing through Fulham’s academy, O’Riley broke through into first team football while at MK Dons, working under Martin. The now Southampton boss made the Denmark international an integral part of his side in League One, with this eventually earning him a move to Celtic.
Described as a ‘monster’ by football analyst Ben Mattinson earlier this summer, the playmaker has gone onto make 123 appearances for the Bhoys, with the majority of his output coming in a prolific 2023/24 campaign. Southampton have been heavily linked with a move for O’Riley, in what has become a protracted transfer saga.
Speaking to the media in Thursday’s press conference ahead of the opening Premier League weekend, Martin revealed his fondness for the player:
“Yeah so, do I like him (O’Riley) as a person and as a player? I’ve worked with him before and yeah, of course. But it depends how you define ‘in the race’.
“I could say we’re in the race for lots of players because we like them or we’ve watched them or spoken to them, but it doesn’t mean we’re in the race. I don’t know who is in the race for Matt, I don’t know what being in the race means. So, yeah, we’ll have to wait and see.”
While Martin’s coy stance on being “in the race” may suggest the Saints are yet to make a concerted effort to sign the player, it’s clear that there is interest. Celtic are reportedly looking for a fee in excess of the £25 million they received for Jota last summer, who joined Saudi outfit Al-Ittihad in what was a record sale for the Scottish side.
| O’Riley’s Scottish Premiership Statistics 2023/24 | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 37 |
| Goals | 18 |
| Assists | 13 |
| Shots Per 90 | 2.9 |
| Key Passes Per 90 | 2.5 |
| Successful Dribbles Per 90 | 1 |
| Fouls Won Per 90 | 0.8 |
