Celtic have received a bid from Brighton for Matt O'Riley, reports have suggested.
Sky Sports claims the Premier League club has submitted a formal offer for the 23-year-old Denmark international.
They say that while a deal has yet to be agreed between the clubs, representatives from both sides are locked in talks, which are due to continue over the coming days.
As a result, Brighton appear to have positioned themselves ahead of other interested parties in the race to sign O'Riley, including Chelsea.
🚨 BREAKING Brighton make formal bid for Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley 🔽 pic.twitter.com/IAjqZ9bM3g
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) August 19, 2024
Atalanta has had six bids rejected by the Scottish Premiership champions in recent weeks, with the latest being at the weekend. This was believed to be worth around £20.5m.
Instead, they have signed Lazar Samardzic as an attacking midfield option, but Sky says it remains to be seen whether or not they will make another attempt to sign O'Riley.
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Scotland international Billy Gilmour and Pascal Gross are both believed to be on the verge of leaving the Seagulls, so a move for O'Riley makes sense for Fabian Hurzeler's side.
Speaking after yesterday's 3-1 victory over Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup, Brendan Rodgers admitted that he was unsure if O'Riley would still be a Celtic player after the transfer deadline on Friday, August 30.
He emphasised that Celtic are under no obligation to part ways with the talented midfielder unless their financial expectations are satisfied.
"I don't know is the honest answer," the Northern Irishman conceded. "You see with him that he is an incredibly talented player.
"There is a value we have for him, and if that's not met he will be here - it's as simple as that. He is really happy here, but it has to be something that draws him away.
"I am not overthinking it. We all know the model here at Celtic - players will improve and they will get to a level that get beyond, not the club, but in terms of the financial salary. But until that comes we continue to work with him."
