The January transfer window is officially open for business and it remains to be seen how busy Celtic will be before the deadline at the start of February.
Brendan Rodgers was backed by the board throughout the summer transfer window, as the club brought in a host of new signings to bolster the squad.
Arne Engels, Auston Trusty, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan, and Adam Idah, among others, all joined on permanent deal to add extra quality to the group.
The Hoops are reportedly interested in making further additions for the Northern Irish head coach, with an attacking midfielder seemingly on their radar, as they have been linked with Manchester City’s James McAtee.
Celtic are also reportedly keen on agreeing a pre-contract deal with Kieran Tierney to join on a free transfer, and are battling to land Burnley star Josh Brownhill, whose contract is also up at the end of the season.
With the interest in Brownhill and McAtee, in particular, the Hoops may be looking to land their next version of Matt O’Riley, who also came from England to star in midfield.
Matt O'Riley's Celtic form last season
The English-born attacking midfielder, who joined from MK Dons on a permanent deal in January 2022 under Ange Postecoglou, enjoyed a stunning 2023/24 campaign with Rodgers in charge.
O’Riley had only scored three goals in 38 matches in the Scottish Premiership in the 2022/23 season under the Australian boss, and the current Celtic manager returned to help him unlock his full potential at the top end of the pitch.
The Denmark international ended last term with a staggering 18 goals in 37 appearances in the league from a central midfield position, 15 more than he had managed the previous season.
Appearances
38
37
Goals
3
18
Assists
12
13
Big chances created
16
14
Key passes per game
2.2
2.5
As you can see in the table above, O’Riley scored more goals, created more chances per game, and recorded more assists, despite playing one match less.
This shows that Rodgers was able to get the best out of the left-footed star, who provided regular quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants, who won the SFA Cup and the Premiership title that term.
Brighton then swooped in to sign the Danish wizard for more than £25m in the summer, which made him the most expensive sale in the club’s history.
The Hoops could, now, find their next version of O’Riley by dipping into the English market once again to sign another left-footed playmaker to come in and provide a huge attacking presence in Glasgow in the second half of the season, amid links to player Rodgers already knows plenty about.
Celtic's interest in Premier League wizard
Football Insider reported last week that Celtic are interested in a swoop to sign Chelsea outcast Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the January transfer window, with his teammate Carney Chukwuemeka also said to be on their list of targets.
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The report claimed that the Scottish giants are set to make a move for the English midfield talent, who only joined the Blues from Leicester City in the summer, as he has struggled to get into Enzo Maresca’s team on a regular basis so far this season.
It stated that the Premiership champions are keeping tabs on Dewsbury-Hall and Chukwuemeka’s situations, with a view to attempting to bring them to Glasgow on loan this month.
The outlet added that there is plenty of interest in the former and that his preference would be to stay in the Premier League, which means that it could be a very difficult deal to get over the line.
Football Insider reported that Celtic do want to bring in another midfielder to bolster their options in that area of the pitch, though, and that could mean that they push to convince the left-footed star that a move to Parkhead is the best next step for him in his career.
He, of course, worked with Rodgers during their time together at Leicester City, when the Celtic boss made his love for the midfielder clear, stating that it was a “real joy” to see him come through the ranks as a “revelation” for the Foxes.
Why Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could be Matt O'Riley 2.0
Dewsbury-Hall having already spent time with the Hoops manager in England suggests that he could be a perfect signing for the January window, as he could slot straight into the team thanks to his pre-existing knowledge of the system and style of play.
He has not started any of his five Premier League appearances for Chelsea this season, so may need a small period of time to get fully up to speed, but his form for Leicester during the 2023/24 campaign suggests that the potential is there for him to be a terrific player for Celtic.
O’Riley carried the Hoops attack in the Premiership last term, as the team’s top scorer and top creator, with 18 goals and 13 assists, and Dewsbury-Hall provided a similar threat in the Championship last term.
Appearances
44
37
Goals
12
18
Big chances created
20
14
Key passes per game
2.5
2.5
Assists
14
13
As you can see in the table above, the Leicester star made a huge impact in the final third with a fantastic return of 32 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 44 matches, compared to O’Riley’s 32 in 37.
Dewsbury-Hall is a central midfielder who can push forward into the opposition’s box to decide matches with his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals, as evidenced by his form in a title-winning side.
Therefore, the £80k-per-week magician certainly has the attributes required to be the club’s new version of Matt O’Riley in the second half of the season, but it remains to be seen whether or not the club can get a deal over the line given his desire to remain in the Premier League.
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