Neil Lennon tips Celtic player for £30 million transfer exit
Two former Celtic players currently hold the Scottish transfer record, which is £25 million. Kieran Tierney left the club in 2019 to join Arsenal for that figure. And Jota made a move to Al-Ittihad last summer for the same fee. Now, one player seems like the most like candidate to break that record in the not too distant future.
There has been a lot of speculation around the future of Matt O'Riley in recent times. Since joining the club from then League One side, MK Dons, in early 2022, the midfielder has grown immensely.
This season, under the management of Brendan Rodgers, he has added goals to his game and has arguably been the best player in Scottish football. He also made his full debut for the Denmark national team not too long ago.
That kind of form has seen O'Riley being linked with a number of Premier League as well as European giants like Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid. Naturally, most are expecting him to leave in a Scottish record move, whenever it is that he departs Parkhead.
Neil Lennon tips Celtic player for £30 million transfer exit
Neil Lennon was the manager of Celtic when Tierney made the £25 million move to Arsenal in 2019. And it looks like he can foresee an even bigger transfer when it comes to O'Riley. As reported by The Scotsman, the former Celtic manager said:
"He's proven himself at the highest level, in the Champions League. He's been the best player in Scotland this season, so you're looking at £25-30million for him, at least. He's made his debut for Denmark, too, so all of these things have come very quickly to him in the last few months, but that's down to the boy, his family, and the way his career has been managed up to this point.
“I think he's a top, top player, and I think that he could play at a very high level in the Premier League. You know, Celtic will get top dollar for him, I'm sure of that. If you're looking at any of the top six or seven teams in England, Matt could play there."
It remains to be seen what the future holds for O'Riley. One would hope that he remains at the club beyond January. Celtic will need him if they are to turn things around in the second half of the campaign.
Of course, nothing should ever be ruled out in football. If the right club come in with the right offer, a transfer exit could very easily materialise.