Matt O’Riley has moved to shut down talk of a summer exit after scoring on the opening weekend of the Premier League with Brighton.
The former Celtic midfielder has been strongly linked with Juventus in recent weeks, with reports suggesting the Serie A giants were preparing a lucrative five-year contract to tempt him to Italy. But O’Riley has made it clear he is not planning on leaving the south coast.
Speaking after Brighton’s 1-1 draw to Fulham, he said: [The Herald]
“I’m very happy here. I’m having fun. That’s all I know at the moment.
“I did go to Fabian in pre-season to reiterate I am here as a Brighton player to help the team as much as possible. I was aware there was a lot of noise around me and I think that helps just settle the situation in general.”
Celtic inserted a sell-on clause into the deal that took O’Riley to Brighton last summer, meaning any future move could still provide a healthy boost to Parkhead finances.
The Hoops have already seen the benefit of that approach this week, with Ben Doak’s £25m switch from Liverpool to Bournemouth set to net the champions a seven-figure payday thanks to a sell-on clause agreed when he left in 2022.
Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v Dundee United – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – January 29, 2022 Celtic’s Ben Doak in action with Dundee United’s Adrian Sporle REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Another fee that’s landed at Celtic this summer is Jeremie Frimpong, who sealed a move to Liverpool this summer. He made his EPL debut this weekend, replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold, who moved to Real Madrid this summer.
O’Riley is going nowhere for now, though, and Brendan Rodgers’ former midfield general looks focused on making his mark in the Premier League. It could be a big season for the player, who’s already off the mark.
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