Chris Sutton, never one to shy away from expressing his opinions on Celtic, had plenty to say about the latest happenings at Parkhead. A devoted supporter of the Bhoys, he closely follows all things green and white in Scotland. However, his thoughts on the recent transfer activity at Celtic Park were less than positive.
The news that midfielder Matt O’Riley was being sold to Brighton for around £25m did not sit well with Sutton. While he understood the reasoning behind the move, he was disappointed to see Celtic potentially weaker than they were last season overall.
Despite managing to keep most of their squad together over the summer and securing Adam Idah on a permanent deal, the departure of O’Riley could signal trouble ahead. Rumours of Man City’s interest in Kyogo Furuhashi as a replacement for Julian Alvarez only added to the uncertainty surrounding the club.
Sutton acknowledged that once Premier League clubs come knocking, Celtic can do little to prevent their players from leaving, apart from securing a hefty transfer fee. In this case, Celtic did manage to secure a record fee for O’Riley, which should give them the resources to seek out a replacement.
As the transfer window draws to a close, Brendan Rodgers and Celtic face a race against time to strengthen their squad and secure new signings. The pressure is on as they look to fill the void left by O’Riley and ensure they remain competitive in the season ahead.
