Pundit Tam McManus has stated that Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley could be snapped up by a Premier League club in the future.
Speaking with Football Insider, he said that the midfielder has is a top player for Celtic and has plenty of potential.
However, amid apparent interest from Newcastle United, McManus has questioned whether he’s good enough to make starting XI at St James’ Park.
The Dane joined the Hoops back in January from English third-tier side MK Dons, costing £1.5m plus add-ons. In that time, O’Riley has made 42 appearances for Celtic across all competitions.
Newcastle United reportedly sent scouts to watch Denmark Under-21s against Croatia, according to Football Scotland. O’Riley found himself on the scoresheet in a 2-1 victory.
McManus stated: “I do think he has the potential to be a Premier League player.
“He’s already a top player. I really, really like him. Celtic got him for a steal, it was something like £1.5million if I remember correctly.
“It was a steal and he is still only 22 years old. He has so much potential and he’s already a star for Celtic. He has a great left foot and he is getting better all the time.
“I think if he has another good season next year, then maybe someone in the Premier League will have a sniff at him.
“It could be Newcastle. There have been plenty of stories about them watching him and they are always mentioned whenever his future comes up, we know they’re interested.
“Is he good enough to get into that team now? I’m not sure. But he has huge potential and he’s only 22, so who knows where he will be in a few years?
“It’s just great business from Celtic to sign players like that for those prices, for buttons. Then you have big clubs like Newcastle in there looking to sign him.
“You are looking at £10million at least, that’s a huge profit.”
TIF Thoughts on McManus’ comments…
We believe that O’Riley certainly has a lot of potential and could be an exciting player for years to come.
He’s already made an impact at Celtic, as the Dane has seven assists to his name in the Scottish Premiership for the Hoops from 15 appearances this term alone.
O’Riley’s defensive stats are also very impressive. When compared to other midfielders in Europe’s top competitions from the past year, he ranks in the top 4% for tackles and the top 3% for interceptions (FBref).
However, we think a move to Newcastle wouldn’t be the right move for O’Riley. The Magpies already have a number of midfielders at their disposal. Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Joe Willock, Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff would all make a case to be chosen ahead of him.
Perhaps the Toon are just keeping tabs on the player for now – after all, he’s only 22 years old. Newcastle could look to bring him in the future should they decide to sell any of those players on in the upcoming transfer windows.