When Celtic informed Atletico Madrid in January that they desired £25 million for Matt O’Riley, the Spanish powerhouses decided to let go.
That’s in line with a recent Danish story that asserts the Hoops would never have been able to go with their star player for the £18 million required in a loan offer. O’Riley drew a lot of interest in January, with Girona and Inter rumoured to have made attempts, but Diego Simeone of Atletico is thought to have made the most serious move, targeting the Celtic star.
With about a week left in the window, they increased their efforts to sign him, but the transfer was ruled out as soon as it looked likely. In less than twenty-four hours, Celtic turned down a firm offer from Atletico Madrid, and manager Brendan Rodgers declared he “won’t be going anywhere.” Additionally, a recent piece published by Tipsbladet provides an inside look at the details of the negotiations.
Atleti allegedly presented the Hoops with a “gigantic” offer in an attempt to sign him permanently for a predetermined £18 million, with the goal of keeping him on loan until the summer. However, that bid was quickly rejected before it even reached the desk.
According to reports, Celtic told Atletico executives in response to the offer that they would only entertain offers totaling £25 million. Eventually, that seemed too much for the La Liga team, who ‘did not answer’ and left the negotiations at that.
O’Riley, who turns 24 in November, has three years left on his contract, so Celtic are in a strong negotiating position with a player who has 10 goals and 12 assists this season. It’s unclear if Atleti or other interested teams would revisit the negotiations in the summer, but Parkhead’s current message appears to be £25 million or bust.
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