Chelsea target Celtic’s Matt O’Riley as potential Gallagher replacement

Chelsea have expressed interest in Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley as a potential replacement for Conor Gallagher.

The Blues reportedly see O’Riley as a valuable addition, especially if Gallagher’s £33 million move to Atletico Madrid materializes.

Celtic have already turned down offers for O’Riley, including a £14 million bid from Southampton.

The 23-year-old London-born player is valued at around £20 million by the Scottish champions.

Chelsea may need to offer more than £20 million plus additional incentives to secure his transfer.

O’Riley has attracted interest from several clubs, including Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Serie A’s Atalanta.

However, he is keen on a move that guarantees regular playing time.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers commented on O’Riley’s situation, saying, “Matt is a great professional.

“The challenge for teams coming to a club like Celtic is they sometimes undervalue our players based on the league.

“No player will leave here unless it’s for the right valuation, and so far, no team has met that,” he added, as was quoted by talkSPORT.