Russell Martin will be focused on strengthening his team this summer as Premier League football makes a comeback to St Mary’s in August.
A number of players have already been linked to Southampton, as the South Coast team looks to stay in the top division past the 2024–2025 season.
Although Martin would like to get back together with one of his old pupils, the Saints owner may encounter a major obstacle worth eight figures in his reunion efforts.
Journalist Alan Nixon stated that Southampton’s prospects of acquiring Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley are currently “slim.”
The information was released because Celtic, of whom Martin is a “huge admirer” after managing at MK Dons, valued their star player at £50 million.
According to Nixon, the asking price is “miles over.” South
The 23-year-old’s transfer to Southampton is within their budget, and Brighton, a Premier League rival, is “already scared” of the cost.
Although Martin expressed his desire to pursue the Scottish Premiership standout, it is now known that a club record amount would be required to get O’Riley to leave Celtic, who naturally want to keep the midfield player.
O’Riley has the ability to elevate Southampton.
O’Riley was in the center of everything great for the Hoops as they won their 54th Scottish Premiership.
The Denmark international scored 18 goals and claimed 13 assists from central midfield, helping him contribute to an incredible 31 goals in 37 league matches, according to Sofascore.
O’Riley was previously called “flawless” by journalist Matthew Fulton, and it is obvious why Southampton is ready to sign him based only on his numbers in front of goal.
O’Riley has a spot in the midfield to compete for at St. Mary’s, even though Martin got the best out of his players during the 2023–24 campaign.
In light of Stuart Armstrong’s uncertain future and Joe Aribo’s inconsistent play, O’Riley’s acquisition might offer the management the ideal upgrade before to the Saints’ Premier League comeback.
Nevertheless, as Nixon’s article highlights, should the Scottish champions continue to demand a high fee, it would become more and more challenging for the South Coast club to recruit the Celtic star.
Martin is frantically trying to get back together with his former player in order to be ready for next season, but only time will tell if a lower offer ends up being sufficient to entice the 23-year-old away from Glasgow.
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