Brendan Rodgers has spent much of the first half of the season hammering home the need for an injection of quality into his squad. But that doesn’t mean Celtic are bereft of it. In fact, their midfield is stacked with it.
Captain Callum McGregor, as exemplified by his phenomenal performance against Rangers at the tail end of December, is arguably the best and most consistent player in the country.
Reo Hatate has been a miss with his various injury issues, but he made his comeback in the win over St Mirren just prior to the winter break, and his presence will be a huge boost in the second half of the campaign.
Though, he might have a job shifting Paulo Bernardo from his place at the apex of that middle three, so impressive have the displays of the young Portuguese been in the last four matches. He got his first goal against Dundee, scored a stunning strike against Rangers, of course, and got two brilliant assists in the 3-0 win in Paisley.
There is also a supporting cast of players like David Turnbull, Odin Thiago Holm and Tomoki Iwata backing that up, but the gem who has shone brightest so far this season among all that talent is undoubtedly Matt O’Riley.
For all that Celtic’s transfer model can frustrate both their supporters and even their manager at times, O’Riley is surely the poster boy for the approach of picking up and polishing rough diamonds.
It is remarkable to think that the 23-year-old was picked up for around a million quid and change from MK Dons almost exactly two years ago now. When he does eventually go, though Celtic fans will not want to contemplate such a scenario, it is not outlandish to say the fee he commands may well trouble the record £25m Celtic raked in for the sales of Kieran Tierney and Jota.
Even if Celtic were to be offered that sort of cash in January though, supporters may very well still baulk at the prospect of losing such a key player at this critical juncture of the season.
O’Riley has always been a classy player, but both he and Rodgers deserve credit for his development this season into a number eight who can not only supply for teammates, but be relied upon to be a consistent source of goals himself.
After scoring just four goals in the entirety of last season, O’Riley already has 10 to his name at the midway stage of this campaign along with seven assists, with the tweaks Rodgers has made to his game and O’Riley’s commitment to constant improvement paying off in fine style.
O’Riley comes across just as impressively off the field too as he does on it. Despite his comparative youth, he has always projected a thoughtfulness and maturity beyond his years, and has been often been frank with insights into how he focuses on areas such as his diet, his sleeping patterns and even his mental wellbeing in order to ensure he can wring the very best from himself every day.
It is little wonder then that teams of the size of Internazionale have been credited with an interest in prising him away from Celtic then, but their initial reported starting offer of a loan with an obligation to buy was never likely to be entertained by the Scottish champions.
With O’Riley signing a new deal with the club in September that extended his contract until the summer of 2027, there will be no depreciation in the fee Celtic will be able to command in the short term unless he suffers a catastrophic collapse of form or, touch wood, a serious injury.
Given how tight the title race may be should Rangers win their two games in hand, there is absolutely no prospect of Celtic selling O’Riley in January barring an offer that no club in Scotland could refuse. And by that, I mean upwards of £30m.
Neither the league title, nor guaranteed Champions League group stage football, are worth risking for anything less.
So, while Celtic fans wait with bated breath to see what additions the club manage to bring in during this month, the most important thing is that O’Riley is still part of Rodgers’ roster come the end of it.
O’Riley brought up his century of appearances for the club in their last game against St Mirren, and Celtic must ensure that is 100 not out, and counting.
