£17m deal announced gives Brighton transfer boost, they can lead race for Celtic star Matt O’Riley

If sitting at the top of the Premier League table wasn’t enough to have Brighton fans happy, the newest transfer window news would.

Fabian Hurzeler got a flying start as Brighton manager, winning 3-0 over Everton in his first Premier League game. If sitting at the top of the Premier League table wasn’t enough to have Brighton fans happy, the newest transfer window news would.

Fabian Hurzeler got a flying start as Brighton manager, winning 3-0 over Everton in his first Premier League game.

The £17 million agreement has significant consequences for Matt O’Riley.
Matt O’Riley has started all three Celtic games this season, including Sunday’s 3-1 Scottish League Cup victory over Hibernian.

However, he is still linked with a move away from the Glasgow giants, and Italian club Atalanta has had two bids for roughly £15 million rejected. The Serie A club pursued O’Riley, but have since moved on to sign Lazar Samardzic instead.

Atlanta announced the agreement on Sunday evening. Sky Sports Italia said that they paid 20 million euros (£17 million) plus bonuses for the 22-year-old.

Atlanta is reportedly expected to cease their pursuit of O’Riley.

What is next for Matt O’Riley?

O’Riley is adored at Celtic, the Scottish champions.

He has a contract at Celtic Park until 2027, but with big bids expected this summer, they may struggle to keep him. Brighton have already bid more than £25 million for O’Riley this summer, and the Seagulls have plenty of cash after selling Moises Caicedo and Alexis MacAllister in recent summers.

With Atalanta now pulling out of the competition, Brighton has the opportunity to surge to the front of the queue for O’Riley.