Any hopes Leeds United may have had of reviving their interest in Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley now look unlikely after former Bhoys man Peter Grant tipped him to play a role in the Champions League this term.
The Whites reportedly had a £10million bid rebuffed late in the summer transfer window (Sky Sports, 31 August), with Rangers’ Glen Kamara and Ilya Gruev of Werder Bremen joining instead.
O’Riley might still have been one for Daniel Farke to keep an eye on long term, but Grant’s assertion that he will play a role in Europe’s premier competition means the ship may have sailed for Leeds.
“There are so many benefits [to staying at Celtic]. He can still get picked for the national team, you can play in the Champions League. Matt has become one of the fans’ favourite players and his performances are worthy of that.
“Time may come when someone from the Premier League makes an offer and he thinks one day he might fancy a go at that, you never know. I always say enjoy them while you have them. God willing, Matt signs a new deal and he’s at Celtic for many years to come.
There may be a time in the no-so-distant future when Leeds look at O’Riley as the one who got away, especially if he can perform at a high level on the biggest stage of all in the Champions League and possibly earn himself a move to a high-flying Premier League club.
It is no secret that the midfielder had plenty of interest from clubs around Europe over the summer, with the Scottish Sun reporting a bid from Italian side Bologna as well as interest from “ambitious clubs in England” and from Spain.
The late bid from Leeds was a sign of ambition as they looked to reinvest the money made from Tyler Adams’ move to Bournemouth into the first team in an attempt to give manager Farke the strongest possible squad to mount a promotion bid.
Who knows, if Leeds do manage to earn promotion at the first time of asking, they could return for O’Riley with the backing of Premier League football and Premier League money behind them.
But for now, it does look a long shot for the Whites.
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