Celtic were fielding offers for star attacking midfielder Matt O’Riley for weeks, finally deciding on the best offer from rising Premier League side Brighton, who inked the Champions League standout for around 30 million euros initially.
It is hard for Celtic to say goodbye to O’Riley, who was one of the best playmakers in European football last season with double-digit goals and assists in the Scottish Premiership and a further six assists in the Champions League.
Celtic fans have been worried about the possibility of the club selling their other top star in the middle of the park, deeper playmaker Reo Hatate, but it appears tha will not be the case.
According to a report from the Scottish Daily Mail, Celtic have recently rejected a 10 million pound bid for Hatate and are not considering selling the talented Japanese international at this time.
Hatate has been on fire to start the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season with two goals in the first three matches. Entering the prime of his career at the age of 26, Hatate had three goals and four assists last season with six goals and eight assists the previous season.
Arguably the best player on Celtic with Matt O’Riley gone to Brighton, Hatate is now the bedrock of the team and will be vital in both the league and Champions League campaigns.
