Celtic are now brewing their next Matt O’Riley

There was a lot made of what Celtic did and did not do in the final days of the summer transfer window, which officially slammed shut last Monday.

The Hoops were unable to sign a new centre-forward to bolster the squad, despite allowing Adam Idah to sign for Swansea for £7m, on deadline day.

This meant that the Scottish Premiership champions had to swoop for Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer the following day, after Sevilla terminated his contract early.

Whilst supporters will want to focus on who came in, and who did not, there also needs to be an appreciation of the players who moved on from the club, including Nicolas Kuhn.

Celtic’s model revolves around bringing in and developing young players to sell them on for a profit, but they then need to find replacements for those players to ensure that the team does not suffer as a result.

Matt O’Riley left the Scottish giants to sign for Brighton & Hove Albion last year and his move away from Glasgow left a gaping hole in the middle of the park.

Why Matt O’Riley’s exit was a big blow for Celtic

The left-footed star took his game to the next level under Brendan Rodgers in the 2023/24 campaign after Ange Postecoglou moved down south to join Tottenham Hotspur.

O’Riley, who now plays for Marseille, only scored seven goals in 54 appearances in the Premiership for the Australian head coach, but did deliver 15 assists in that time.

This shows that he was a creative midfielder who did not offer a significant threat as a goalscorer from the middle of the park prior to Rodgers’ return to Parkhead in the summer of 2023.

O’Riley stepped up his game in the final third in the 2023/24 campaign, though, with a return of 18 goals in the Premiership to lead the Hoops to the title.

As you can see in the table above, the Denmark international was a pivotal part of Rodgers’ team because he was the main threat in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

This is why his move to Brighton last summer was a big blow because the Scottish giants lost a star who could deliver goals and assists at an exceptional rate.

O’Riley’s ability to score goals, in particular, was important for Celtic because it took some of the pressure off the forward players, which is exactly what the team need right now with their issues in the centre-forward department.

Kelechi Iheanacho only scored four goals in all competitions last season, per Sofascore, whilst Hyun-jun Yang and James Forrest have combined for six league goals since the start of last term.

This is why there may be more of an emphasis on the midfielders needing to step up and score goals for Rodgers this season, and they may have their next Matt O’Riley already brewing at Parkhead.

The Celtic star who could be the new Matt O’Riley

Celtic broke their transfer record to sign Arne Engels from Augsburg for a fee of £11m last summer to ‘replace’ O’Riley, and he did not have a bad first season in Glasgow by any means.

The Belgium international delivered ten goals and 13 assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which is a very respectable return for a central midfielder, but there was a lack of goals from open play.

As you can see in the table above, Engels ranked joint-bottom alongside Paulo Bernardo for non-penalty goals in the Celtic midfield last season in the Premiership.

This is why it is Benjamin Nygren who could be the next O’Riley in the making at Parkhead, not Engels, because the summer signing has the potential to deliver a huge goal threat from midfield for the Hoops.

The Sweden international arrived in Glasgow from Nordsjaelland after an impressive haul of 16 goals and four assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for the Danish outfit last season, per Transfermarkt.

Whilst Nygren is more versatile than O’Riley, having played the bulk of his minutes on the right flank, he did score four of those 16 goals in his six appearances as either an attacking or central midfield player.

Since making the move to Parkhead, the Swedish star has mainly played in a central midfield role in the 4-3-3 set-up, and showcased his knack for goals from a central position with his strike against Aberdeen.

The left-footed star has scored three goals in four Premiership matches to date, per Sofascore, and only one of his 19 goals for Nordsjaelland and Celtic since the start of last season came from the penalty spot.

His Sweden teammate Alexander Isak, now of Liverpool, described him as a “fearless” star who plays with “confidence”, which has already been clear to see during his short time with the Hoops.

Nygren takes risks with the ball, losing the ball 19 times per game, He wants to progress his team up the pitch. He wants to take shots and create chances, averaging three key passes per game in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

His impact from a central midfield and a right wing position has been impressive, and his form in Denmark suggests that it is sustainable as well.

Therefore, the 24-year-old star may be the next O’Riley for Rodgers as a central midfield star who has the potential to go and score 15 to 20 goals in the Premiership this season if he can remain consistent with his performances.