Sammy says no more life of O’Riley as star will quit
GEORGIOS SAMARAS says he is 100 per cent sure Matt O’Riley will leave Celtic this summer.
The midfielder is one of the frontrunners for SPFL Player of the Season.
Atletico Madrid and Inter were interested in January but Celtic refused to sell for anything less than £25million.
But it seems likely the vultures will come circling again this summer with O’Riley’s form continuing to impress.
Samaras knows when O’Riley does eventually leave it will only be for a mega fee, like the huge deals that took Kieran Tierney to Arsenal and Jota to Al-Ittihad.
The former Celtic striker exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone: “I’m 100 per cent sure Matt O’Riley will leave the club at the end of this season. He’s out.
“He had a great season last year, he’s had another fantastic season this time around and we’re clearly seeing him develop year on year. He came from League One in England and he’s giving his team something every single week.
“He’s so talented. With his goals, his assists, his general performances, I think he’s at the peak of his Celtic career. Now the best thing for him and the club, is to find the best offer for him in the summer.
“He can play in any team, that’s for sure. Okay, it would be more difficult to play for the top four in England but I have no doubt in his ability to perform at
a similar level in the Premier League. It’ll be a case of who can afford him.
“Celtic have a very expensive asset in Matt O’Riley so I’ve no doubt they’ll get a huge transfer fee for him. And I’m not just talking about the Premier League, this is a guy who could play in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy for any of their big clubs.
“Celtic sell expensive. In the last 15 years or so, clubs from all around Europe and further have spent big to sign Celtic players.
“Celtic know how to sell, and they know how to buy. Ever since I’ve known the club I’ve had nothing but confidence in them when it comes to selling players for the right price.”