Celtic Matt O'Riley transfer stance revealed as Brendan Rodgers confirms Atletico Madrid offer

Celtic manager insists star midfielder will remain with club amid January interest

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and Matt O'Riley at full time after the Scottish Cup win over Buckie Thistle. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has vowed Matt O’Riley will not be sold this month after the club rejected an offer from Atletico Madrid for the Denmark international midfielder.

The La Liga side wanted to take the 23-year-old on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season in deal reportedly worth around £20m.

Further offers are possible before the window shuts with Inter Milan, Girona and Premier League clubs in England all credited with showing an interest in the player who Celtic signed from MK Dons for £1.5m in January 2022.

However, Rodgers has insisted the O’Riley will remain with Celtic until the end of the season at least as the player who has scored 10 goals and registered 12 assists in 29 appearances this season is regarded as too important to the club’s title ambitions.

Confirming the offer from Madrid, Rodgers said: “There was that but Matt is a player we don’t want to lose and he won’t be going anywhere in January.

“It’s a great testament to him and what the club can do for a player. He won his first international cap this season and Atletico Madrid are a big club in European football.

“But he is very much part of what we are doing. He has been a joy to work with and I had a good chat with Matt this morning and he is someone who will be here for us in the second part of the season.”