Brighton have completed the £25m capture of midfielder Matt O’Riley from Celtic as the Dane signs a long-term contract at the south coast club.
O’Riley has become the latest addition of new head coach Fabian Hurzeler who guided his side to their first win of the new Premier League season at the weekend – beating Man United 2-1.
The 23-year-old opted to join Brighton following a string of failed bids from Serie A side Atalanta who had been keen to bring the talented creative star to Italy’s top-flight.
Brighton were eventually able to negotiate an acceptable fee with the reigning Scottish Premiership champions who are now likely to reinvest some of the funds in new reinforcements.
There will be no add-ons included in the deal, Mail Sport understands, but £25m comes close to the figure Celtic had been demanding and accepted.
Brighton have completed the £25m capture of midfielder Matt O’Riley from Celtic
O’Riley had been chased by both Brighton and Italian side Atalanta throughout the summer
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler (pictured) was determined to complete O’Riley’s transfer
Celtic previously snapped O’Riley up in a bargain deal from English League One outfit MK Dons for a modest £1.5m in January 2022 under former boss Ange Postecoglou.
He went on to win three Scottish Premiership titles as well as several other cups, all while becoming a Denmark international and catching the attention of Premier League suitors.
Speaking after completing his transfer, O’Riley admitted he was relieved to have finally got the deal over the line following weeks of negotiations.
O’Riley admitted he was relieved to have finally got the deal over the line following weeks of negotiations
‘Very very happy. It’s definitely taken a while, got a little bit stressful the last couple of weeks but I’m just happy to be here now,’ he told the club.
‘I spoke to the manager on the phone and he did a really good job of selling the club. I got the impression everyone was really nice and that is something I want to be a part of.
Commenting on O’Riley signing a five-year contract at Brighton, head coach Hurzeler praised his new arrival, adding: ‘He enjoys getting forward and attacking the opponent’s penalty area, but he also has a good defensive instinct.
‘That balance makes him special. He is a great character, and has a good ambition to succeed and that’s something which is very important for us.’