Celtic could sign the closest thing to Matt O’Riley

Tougher tests lie ahead, but Scottish champions Celtic are purring right now, with the club’s string of new signings all making an immediate impact in Glasgow.

Yes, it was a muted debut cameo for Haissem Hassan against Dundee United, but Saturday’s clash did see Camilo Duran get off the mark in almost comical fashion.

Kasper Hogh, of course, had already announced himself the previous weekend with his hat-trick heroics at Rugby Park, the free-scoring Dane looking like the old-school number nine that the Hoops have long been crying out for.

Impressive early signs, undoubtedly, with the same also true of new £6.8m man Mika Baur in midfield, the 22-year-old hopefully set to be the first of yet more arrivals in that department.

Can anyone come close to replicating Matt O’Riley‘s heroics in Glasgow? That’s the question…

Have Celtic replaced O’Riley after he left Parkhead?

Like many who fly the nest at Celtic, O’Riley has found life difficult away from Parkhead.

Once a real talisman in green and white, the 25-year-old has found himself on the periphery at Brighton and Hove Albion, even spending the first half of last season on loan at Marseille.

He’d emerged as a star under both Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers, scoring and assisting 52 goals in 124 games in all competitions, yet just six goal involvements have followed in 29 games for the Seagulls.

As for Celtic, well the Premiership giants have somewhat filled that void with the addition of Benjamin Nygren, the prolific Swede taking on that creative, goalscoring mantle after netting 21 times last season.

The left-footer has since scored in each of the first three games of 2026/27 too, certainly on course to mirror O’Riley’s stellar final season at the club, in which he chalked up 18 goals and 13 assists in the Premiership.

Nygren has the end product to rival the Dane, but he perhaps lacks that sense of silk and athleticism, unlikely to follow O’Riley in dropping into a deeper role when required.

Indeed, the former MK Dons man had even been a useful understudy to Callum McGregor on occasion, boasting the quality to dictate the tempo of a game, even on the Champions League stage.

It is that kind of stellar talent that the Hoops are still seeking to replace, with there hope that Martin O’Neill and co can secure further reinforcements moving forward.

How Celtic can finally replace O’Riley this summer

Baur’s deft backheel alone has got tongues wagging in Glasgow, yet with Arne Engels finally completing his move to West Ham United, further depth is needed as a matter of urgency in the centre of the park.

Reports this week did suggest that the club could be looking to explore a move for Manchester United youngster, Dan Gore, the Old Trafford academy graduate in line to leave the Premier League outfit this summer.

More notably, however, reports in Turkey have indicated that Celtic are now intensifying talks to sign Torino star, Gvidas Gineitis, having long been linked with the Lithuanian.

The suggestion is that a move for the midfielder is set to accelerate as the deadline looms, with the Serie A side set to demand a fee of around €10.5m (£9m) if they are to sanction a sale.

He evidently won’t come cheap, but sometimes you have to pay a premium for a premium talent, with Gineitis having certainly shown himself to be that in Italy.

Still only 22, just a year older than O’Riley was when he walked in the building in 2022, the Torino man is another truly elegant, classy number eight, having already racked up a wealth of experience in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

The level he’s been playing at has perhaps reduced his level of output in terms of goals and assists, but he did notably create five ‘big chances’ last term, highlighting what he can offer going forward.

That is also seen in the fact that he ranks in the top 20% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for through-ball passes, always seeking out a probing, progressive pass in O’Riley fashion.

At 6 foot 3, he’s another eye-catching, marauding midfielder, someone who offers plenty both in and out of possession.

Indeed, in Serie A in 2025/26, he averaged 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game, only just ahead of what O’Riley recorded in his final full year in the Premiership (2.2).

It’s also worth noting just what a force he is in terms of protecting the back four, having been dribbled past just 0.3 times per game last season, again enjoying a slightly better record than O’Riley in that standout 2023/24 campaign (0.6).

As already stated, he’s perhaps waiting to explode in terms of end product, yet five goals in just 32 caps for his country does provide reason for optimism, with one goal coming from the penalty spot suggesting he could also mirror O’Riley in that sense.

Nygren might be the new goalscoring force in that attacking midfield role, but in terms of signing a player akin to O’Riley in his Celtic pomp, Gineits could well be the man.