Why £4m World Cup star could be the second coming of Matt O’Riley at Celtic

Celtic look set to be in the market to add a new central midfielder to their squad before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

Japan international Reo Hatate has told the club that he would like to explore a potential move away from Parkhead to try a new adventure elsewhere.

He was not as effective last season as he was in the 2024/25 campaign, as he went from scoring 11 goals in 47 games to five goals in 39 matches for the Hoops.

Celtic need to find a more consistent goalscoring contributor from midfield like they once had with Matt O’Riley, who scored 18 goals in the Scottish Premiership in the 2023/24 season.

How Celtic turned Matt O’Riley into a goal machine

The Denmark international ended his career at Parkhead as a player who offered a consistent threat in front of goal as a scorer, but that was not always the case for him in Glasgow.

O’Riley only scored seven goals in his first 54 appearances in the Premiership for the Hoops, as he was used in more of a box-to-box role to create chances for the forward players.

Under Rodgers, though, he had a higher volume of touches in the attacking third of the pitch in central positions, rather than out wide, which provided him with more opportunities to take shots and score goals to win matches for Celtic.

The arrival of the Northern Irish head coach helped the Danish midfielder to flourish as a goalscorer because of the change in style to make him more influential on the ball in the final third.

His progression under Rodgers then led to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooping in to sign him for a mouth-watering fee of £25m in the summer of 2024.

Celtic eyeing move to sign their next Matt O’Riley

Ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, Martin O’Neill needs to find a potential replacement for Hatate who can offer the consistent goalscoring threat that O’Riley once provided in the middle of the park.

Now, journalist Mark Hendry reports that Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Al Ahly central midfielder Emam Ashour in the summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that the Hoops are keeping tabs on the midfield star’s situation and that they have been told that a bid of £4m would be enough to agree a deal for his services.

However, it now remains to be seen whether or not the Premiership giants are prepared to pay that amount to bring him to Parkhead this summer.

Celtic’s interest in the 28-year-old talent comes off the back of his return of two goals in five matches at the World Cup for Egypt, scoring goals against Belgium and Australia.

He showcased his goalscoring quality from a central midfield position on the world stage for his country, which suggests that his performances could carry over to Scottish football.

Ashour’s form for Al Ahly at club level also suggests that he could be the club’s next version of O’Riley and a better option than Hatate for O’Neill in the 2026/27 campaign and beyond.

The Egypt international scored 11 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign before scoring 19 goals in 37 matches in the following season.

Injuries restricted him to two goals in 19 games in the 2025/26 season, unfortunately, but his performances for Egypt and his previous form for Al Ahly shows that he can be the new O’Riley at Parkhead.

He has consistently proven himself to be a threat at the top end of the pitch from midfield, scoring goals on a regular basis, and that is what Celtic need to replace Hatate, should he move on from Glasgow before the end of the window.

That is why the Scottish giants must now push to secure a deal for the £4m-rated star in the coming weeks so that they can secure O’Neill his own version of O’Riley.