Matt O'Riley Celtic transfer saga at mercy of third-party activity as Rangers clearout takes big step forward

Atalanta will now have to weigh up a fourth offer for midfielder Matt O'Riley after Celtic booted out another bid for the midfielder from the Italian outfit. Celtic are determined to rake in more than £20million for the 23-year-old playmaker, who is contracted until the summer of 2027.

While Atalanta remain very keen on the Denmark internationalist, the depth of their pockets is being tested by Celtic's stance on O'Riley. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini has identified the player as one of his priority transfers this window, but the Serie A side are also mindful of being held to ransom by Celtic, who know there is interest from other clubs in Europe. Atletico Madrid made an offer for him back in January, while Southampton are said to be monitoring the situation closely.

However, Atalanta's hand may be forced by Juventus, who are set to table an official offer this weekend for their own midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. O'Riley is seen as a natural replacement for the Dutchman, who is one of Juve's main transfer targets this summer.

O'Riley is currently in the United States with Celtic on their summer tour, with one final match to be played against Chelsea tonight.

Matt O'Riley remains in the US with Celtic as part of their summer tour. | Getty Images

Meanwhile, Belgian side Mechelen have made a loan offer to Celtic for their defender Stephen Welsh, according to reports. The 24-year-old is not a regular starter under current manager Brendan Rodgers and has been linked with moves away from Parkhead for the past two seasons.

It is also claimed that a number of clubs in England are keeping tabs on Welsh's situation, who is battling with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke for a place in the Celtic first-team picture.

Across the Glasgow divide, Sam Lammers has become the latest player to leave Rangers as Philippe Clement’s big clearout gathers pace. The 27-year-old joined from Atalanta last summer but struggled for form in Glasgow and soon fell out of favour after the Belgian boss replaced Michael Beale last autumn.

“Rangers can today confirm Sam Lammers has joined FC Twente for an undisclosed fee. Everyone at Rangers wishes Sam well for the future,” read a short statement from the club on Friday night.

Several others look set to follow Lammers out of the exit door. As Gers headed to Germany to face Union Berlin in a friendly on Saturday, Connor Goldson, who has been linked with Aris Limassol, was pictured flying out of Glasgow Airport alone on Friday morning a little over 24 hours after Clement revealed the defender was holding talks with another club.

Todd Cantwell has handed in a transfer request and captain James Tavernier has been heavily linked with a move to Turkey while Ianis Hagi is reportedly close to joining Fiorentina.

Sam Lammers' underwhelming time at Rangers has come to an end. | Getty Images

In terms of incomings, Czech Republic international Vaclav Cerny is relishing the chance to experience football in another new country after joining Rangers on a season-long loan from Wolfsburg. The 26-year-old winger has spent the bulk of his senior career in the Netherlands after coming through the Ajax academy before spells with Utrecht and Twente, from where he earned his move to Germany a year ago.

“My time in Dutch football was a big experience, I went there actually when I was 15, spent almost 11 years over there, so basically grew up in the Netherlands,” Cerny said in an interview with Rangers TV. “I won something with Ajax and then moved on in my career with Twente. I had an amazing time there and obviously after that moved to Germany and after one year I am here.

“Obviously it is a big step from the Dutch competition to the Bundesliga. It was a nice experience for me, I learned new things, even when I turned 26 and have played for a long time, I learned new things about football itself. That is what football does, brings you new opportunities and new chances and I can’t wait to experience it here.”

Rangers are in action this afternoon when they face Union Berlin in their final pre-season friendly.