Matt O'Riley, Celtic transfer situation must be no surprise to MK Dons supporters: View | OneFootball

MK Dons supporters will be fully aware of how talented Matt O'Riley is

Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley has proved a revelation in Scotland since his move from MK Dons in January 2022, and has been the subject of transfer interest once again this summer.

The latest side to be linked with a move for him are Premier League side Brighton, and it's reported that the Seagulls have opened talks with Celtic over a £25million-plus move for the midfielder, with the club from Sussex willing to break the Scottish Premiership transfer record of £25million which Arsenal paid for Kieran Tierney, according to the Daily Mail.

Brighton haven't been alone in their interest in O'Riley this summer, and the Daily Record reported that Serie A club Atalanta had five bids rejected for the 23-year-old, while Celtic turned down bids from Atlético Madrid in January, as per Sky Sports.

Newly-promoted Southampton were also said to be interested in the Danish international, with Saints boss Russell Martin knowing all about O'Riley's talent thanks to their time working together at MK Dons. Martin is a huge fan of the player, and it's easy to see why after his exploits at Stadium MK.

Matt O'Riley transfer interest won't be a surprise to MK Dons fans

O'Riley might not have spent all that long at MK Dons, but it was clear from the start that they weren't going to be able to keep a player of his talent for all too long.

After leaving Fulham in the summer of 2020, O'Riley began training with MK Dons, and after six months, he was offered a contract in January 2021. It didn't take too long for him to show what he was capable of at League One level, and he scored in just his second appearance for the club, a 2-0 win against rivals AFC Wimbledon, and he never looked back from there.

He continued his impressive form throughout the second half of the 2020/21 season, registering three goals and two assists to help his side to a mid-table finish, but things would get even better the following season.

Martin departed in the summer of 2021 and was replaced by Liam Manning, and O'Riley thrived as MK enjoyed a fantastic season, reaching the play-offs.

He won the EFL Young Player of the Month award for November 2021 after an impressive month where he scored three goals and registered two assists, and it was clear to supporters that he wouldn't be at the club for much longer, such was his talent.

His seven goals and five assists in League One during the first half of the 2021/22 season saw interest from both Swansea City, where Martin was now Head Coach, and Celtic, and it was the Scottish giants who won the race for his signature.

Celtic paid just £1.5million for his signature, an absolute bargain in hindsight, and the way he's performed at Celtic won't have any MK Dons supporters surprised.

MK Dons will be hoping that Matt O'Riley is sold for a huge transfer fee

A report from the MK Citizen last summer stated that MK Dons have a sell-on clause for O'Riley, so a summer move for the Danish international this summer would be a huge boost to the club's coffers.

It remains to be seen how much the sell-on clause is, but if he's sold for over £25million as expected, MK Dons can expect to receive a decent fee, which would be a timely boost.

Their League Two rivals would surely look on with envy should they receive any sort of money from a potential O'Riley sale, and boss Mike Williamson would be able to significantly strengthen his squad at that level with any money coming in.

Their decision to sign O'Riley in January 2021 proved an excellent bit of business, and while the £1.5million fee they received for the midfielder two-and-half years ago wasn't huge, they could be set for a very welcome financial windfall in the near future.