Fabrizio Romano – Atalanta signs midfield star, transfer fee over 20 million euros plus additional services
If we keep Matt and add a few more faces, this will be our most successful window in years.
First things first, we need new signings, at least three new faces. A centre-back, a left-back and a versatile attacker would be ideal and would help us a lot with the challenges this season, especially in Europe.
However, keeping Matt O’Riley would be just as important as any new face arriving at Celtic Park. I’m not saying that would excuse the lack of transfer activity from our goalkeepers, because it wouldn’t. We desperately need fresh faces in the squad and if we can do that and keep Matt, it would be a very successful transfer window, our best for many years.
Matt is an outstanding player and will only get better. He is an important part of our team and fits well into Brendan’s system. Keeping him will only make us stronger in our quest to be successful this season. And I don’t just mean domestically, but in the Champions League as well.
I’m not saying we’ll go far in the Champions League, that would be pretty ridiculous, but maybe, just maybe, we could do a little better than we have so far and actually get through the group stage. That would be a huge step forward.
Keeping Matt is just as important to our ambitions to compete in Europe. If we do that and add a few new faces, things will look a little brighter. If Atalanta’s budget airlines have turned to other destinations after FIVE low-cost offers were rejected – none of which ever reached the asking price – then they have proved themselves to be time-wasters. Not that we’re complaining.
Matt can increase his value this season by playing for Celtic in the Champions League, which would also allow him a move to a bigger club than Atalanta, who have won a total of two trophies since the early 1960s.
Fabrizio Romano reports this evening that “Atalanta are close to signing Lazar Samardzić! The deal has been completed, as was announced earlier today. The transfer fee is over 20 million euros plus add-ons, as Samardzić will not travel with Udinese this weekend to undergo a medical as a new Atalanta player.”
⚫️🔵🇷🇸 Atalanta will sign Lazar Samardzić! The deal was announced this morning.
The transfer fee is over 20 million euros plus additional services, as Samardzić will not travel with Udinese this weekend to undergo a medical as a new Atalanta player. pic.twitter.com/rSifRUUNkw
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) 17 August 2024
Just an ordinary Bhoy
