Man Utd 'monitoring' Celtic star as record-breaking transfer race heats up with Champions League club in fray

Manchester United are running the rule over Matt O’Riley as the Celtic star looks set to become centre of a summer transfer race.

The Premiership champions bounced back a bid in the region of £18m from La Liga and Champions League side Atletico Madrid in the winter window, according to The Mirror. They claim Diego Simeone’s men will ‘revive’ their pursuit in the summer but they might not be the only suitors.

It’s also suggested that ‘Manchester United have been monitoring O’Riley since 2022.’ Serie A giants Inter Milan and Atletico’s La Liga rivals Girona are other clubs who find themselves on a growing list of O’Riley ‘fans.’ It will be a pricy chase though as the Hoops will demand a Scottish record-transfer fee.

The Old Trafford club are heading into a new era spearheaded by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with midfield uncertainty surrounding stars like Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Sofyan Amrabat. O’Riley featured for 90 minutes on Saturday as Celtic beat St Mirren 3-0, a crucial victory as they now sit four points clear at the top of the Premiership after a shock 3-2 win for Ross County against Rangers.

Boss Rodgers said of the result to Sportsound: “I felt in the first half we were a little bit passive in our pressing and counter-pressing. When you’re like that then, with the ball, it’s not quite so aggressive.

“We arrived into the final third on numerous occasions and didn’t keep it well enough to combine and sustain the attack. Or we arrived or tried to get in too early. It was just a case of highlighting the patience of the game and maintaining the speed of the game.

“These types of games, when the team are sat in, compact, tight and very well organised, then the first goal is absolutely critical. We got that early in the half and the players were then outstanding for the remainder. It’s a huge credit to the players. You saw an injection of speed and tempo. Everything started to connect much cleaner and better.”