Liverpool have been rumoured to be in the market for new players recently as the final month of the transfer window approaches, with one particularly unusual name emerging: Celtic midfielder Matt O’Reilly.
A new era for Liverpool is slowly underway, with sporting director Richard Hughes gearing up and Arne Slott putting together the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp. As a result, Liverpool are one of only two Premier League teams yet to dip into the transfer market.
That would only invite further scrutiny when the initial deal is finally concluded – and it has been suggested O’Reilly could be given the honours of being the first to move, with reporter Rudy Galetti reporting that Liverpool have been “fully informed” of the situation.
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Serie A side Atalanta are said to have “made the first move” for the Celtic player but the race is still ongoing, while La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid are also keeping a close eye on the developments.
So who exactly is O’Reilly and what is the potential appeal of a transfer for Liverpool? The 23-year-old originally came through Fulham’s youth system before moving north of the border to Celtic from MK Dons in January 2022 (he appeared in the League Cup during Fulham’s top-flight season in 2018/19, but is yet to play in a Premier League match).
Born in England, his mother’s bloodline made him eligible to represent Denmark and Norway, and he played for various England age-groups before moving to Under-21 level and is now a full Denmark international.
You might not know it from the name, but Matt O’Reilly is a Denmark international. (Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
It speaks to his continuing excellent form for Celtic, where he showed at MK Dons that he is a central midfielder with exceptional goal-scoring ability, and that is no different for Scotland.
O’Reilly scored 18 goals and provided a further 13 assists in the Scottish top flight last season and has also been remarkably injury-free throughout his career so far, playing most of the time.
In fact, this is not the first time Liverpool have been linked with an interest – just six months after O’Reilly spent at Celtic in 2022, they were one of the top clubs linked with targeting the midfielder.
If Liverpool continue to keep a close eye on them, they will likely see the player continue to develop and perform well, which could make for an interesting match to watch.
Liverpool.com said: “There is undoubtedly talent in the Scottish top flight, and O’Reilly has the added benefit of experience in English football.”
Conor Bradley has proven that promotion from League One to the Premier League is not impossible and O’Reilly has made the ideal intermediate step at Celtic, which has given him Champions League minutes and the responsibility of playing a central role in title-winning efforts.