MATT FINISH
Celtic hero Matt O’Riley transfer saga finally over as EPL side pays TWENTY times what Hoops did to land midfielder
A Rangers legend has got the deal over the line!
IT'S been the longest-running transfer saga of the summer - and it's finally over.
And that's because Premier League outfit Brighton have just stumped up a Scottish record deal to land the signature of Celtic hero Matt O'Riley.
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We broke the news last Tuesday of Brighton's interest - with things moving on again on Friday for the final touches of a deal which will see the Hoops rake in £30million - TWENTY times greater than the £1.5m they paid for him.
And it all means the midfielder will get the chance to strut his stuff in the Premier League each week - at a team who currently sit joint top of the table.
He won't get any European football this season - Brighton fell away badly for an 11th placed finish after spending much of the campaign near the top of the table.
But it will press his case for regular inclusion in the full Denmark squad after he narrowly failed to make the cut for Euro 2024.
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The midfielder's arrival on the south coast was announced this afternoon - signing a FIVE year deal at the Amex.
The likes of Atalanta and Southampton have also been involved in the running this summer - with Atletico Madrid failing in a bid to land him on an initial loan in January after he played a starring role against them in the Champions League.
It's a further boost to the coffers at the cash-rich Parkhead side, who are likely to move into the market for a replacement - with the likes of Arne Engels of Augsburg and Alvyn Sanches of Lausanne-Sport both linked with a move.
It's a move which is brokered by a major Rangers legend, with David Weir currently technical director at the south coast club.
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They're renowned for their clever approach to recruitment - but in the last few days they've started splashing the cash.
Only days ago Brighton completed the signing of French forward Georginio Rutter for a club record £40m from Leeds.
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Scotland's highest fees received
- Matt O'Riley - Celtic to Brighton, £30 million (2024) * NEW ENTRY*
- Kieran Tierney - Celtic to Arsenal, £25 million (2019)
- Jota - Celtic to Al Ittihad, £24.8 million (2023)
- Moussa Dembélé - Celtic to Lyon, £19.8 million (2018)
- Calvin Bassey - Rangers to Ajax, around £19.6 million (2022)
- Kris Ajer - Celtic to Brentford, around £15million (2021)
- Odsonne Édouard - Celtic to Crystal Palace, around £14 million (2021)
- Virgil van Dijk - Celtic to Southampton, £13 million (2015)
- Nathan Patterson - Rangers to Everton, around £12 million (2022)
- Victor Wanyama - Celtic to Southampton, £12.5 million (2013)
- Fraser Forster - Celtic to Southampton, £10 million (2014)
- Aiden McGeady - Celtic to Spartak Moscow, £9.5million (2010)
Rutter scored eight goals in 66 appearances for Leeds after joining from Hoffenheim in January 2023, when the West Yorkshire club broke their own transfer record with a deal worth up to £36m.
And now it's O'Riley's turn to make the move - with the transfer sum eclipsing the £25m the Hoops landed for the sale of Kieran Tierney and Jota.
His new club announced the deal at 3pm, but bosses were keen to try to get him registered before midday today to allow him to be eligible for tomorrow night’s EFL Cup second round clash at home to Crawley.
If they have achieved that then O’Riley could now see some action ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off against Arsenal at the Emirates.
Co-incidentally it was the Gunners who actually held the previous record fee paid to a Scottish club when they lured Kieran Tierney to north London in 2019 - but the Scotland star is unlikely to feature on Saturday, and they have been outdone by their southern rivals.
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