Atalanta are keen on Celtic star Matt O’Riley as he is seen as an ideal addition to the squad, particularly if they lose Teeun Koopmeiners.
That’s according to Tuttomercatoweb, who cover the potential deal today and how the Celtic midfielder has become ‘the first target’ for the Italian side.
They explain that while O’Riley’s statistics have impressed the Europa League champions, whose tally of 19 goals and 18 assists in all competitions last season certainly makes for good reading, it is his similarities to other players they really value.
He’s seen as something of a mix between Martin de Roon and Teeun Koopmeiners and a player who has ‘superior intelligence’ that makes him capable of playing various roles in the middle of the park.
His ‘ability to insert’, direct the play and shoot from distance means he would be the ‘perfect addition’ to an already talented midfielder and perhaps an ideal replacement for Koopmeiners should he go too.
A value of €25m could be a problem but there is an argument that if Atalanta want to establish themselves in the European elite, then they need to ‘make investments’. Thus, there may be a willingness to match Celtic’s demands eventually.
It’s now up to the two teams to work out an agreement, with the last report indicating that Celtic were holding out for as much as possible if they are to sell O’Riley at any point.
