Brighton Signs Matt O'Riley From Celtic In Record Five-Year Contract

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Brighton have confirmed the acquisition of Matt O'Riley from Celtic on a five-year deal. The Denmark international was secured for a fee exceeding £25 million, setting a new record for a Scottish club's transfer earnings. O'Riley joined Celtic in January 2022 from MK Dons and made 124 appearances for the Scottish champions, scoring 27 goals and providing 35 assists across all competitions.

In the previous Scottish Premiership season, only Lawrence Shankland (24) scored more goals than O'Riley (18). Additionally, he led the league in assists with 13. Of his goals, 13 came from significant chances, and he created the third-most opportunities (93) in the competition, trailing only James Tavernier and Danny Armstrong.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler praised O'Riley's unique playing style. "He plays a very specialist position; he is very good at occupying and attacking the right space. He likes making deep runs and knows when to attack at the right time," Hurzeler said. "He enjoys getting forward and attacking the opponent's penalty area, but he also has a good defensive instinct. That balance makes him special."

Celtic had previously turned down five offers from Atalanta for O'Riley, with their highest bid being £21.5 million plus add-ons. The 23-year-old midfielder becomes Brighton's eighth signing of this transfer window, joining Yakuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Malick Yalcouye, Brajan Gruda, Ibrahim Osman, and Georginio Rutter at the club.

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O'Riley's ability to balance offensive and defensive duties makes him a valuable asset for Brighton. "He is a great character and has a good ambition to succeed and that's something which is very important for us," Hurzeler added.

The signing of Matt O'Riley marks a significant investment by Brighton as they continue to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season.