Matt O'Riley shares why Celtic rejected Atletico Madrid bid

It is not often that clubs like Atletico Madrid make offers for Celtic players. But when Diego Simeone's side came calling for Matt O'Riley in the winter, it was not really a surprise to anyone. The Denmark international was enjoying a stellar campaign, showing his quality not only in the Scottish Premiership but also the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid got the chance to watch O'Riley closely, having faced Celtic in the Champions League group stage this season. He did not disappoint, providing an assist in the 2-2 draw between the two sides at Parkhead.

Fans were left worried when news broke of Atletico Madrid's offer for O'Riley. But fortunately, the midfielder remained at Celtic.

O'Riley has shed some light on why the move to Atletico Madrid did not materialise for him. While he does seem happy to have received the offer, it does not look like he is holding any regrets for the bid being turned down.

O'Riley shares why Celtic rejected Atletico Madrid bid

As reported by Tipsbladet, O'Riley shared that Celtic wanted a bigger offer:

"Celtic received an offer from them (Atletico Madrid) and it was cool. I wasn't really close to leaving because Celtic wanted more money."

Discussing the matter further, O'Riley stated:

"I'm not sorry about it. For me it was just cool that a club like them wanted me. It's not that often that you receive an offer from Atletico Madrid, so it's obviously cool. "

It was not too long ago that O'Riley signed a new contract but a summer exit feels pretty inevitable at this point. Let's see what the future holds for him.

One does have to point out though that O'Riley's form has not been as consistent over the past few months. The good news is that he does seem to have rediscovered some of his early season form in recent weeks. Hopefully, he continues on that path in the foreseeable future.

Not only Atletico Madrid, but Inter Milan as well as several other Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for O'Riley. Hopefully, Celtic can bring in a Scottish record transfer fee when his exit does eventually and inevitably happen.