Southampton should join Leeds United in Celtic transfer race, £25m needed: View | OneFootball

Whether promotion to the Premier League is secured or not, it is expected that Southampton will be busy in the transfer market this summer.

The Saints were very hectic last summer as their relegation to the Championship meant several high-profile players left the club.

It is unlikely they are going to have the same situation again this summer, but Russell Martin will want to freshen his side up, as will all managers when the season ends.

One area that the Saints could need to prioritise is midfield, as they will see Flynn Downes return to West Ham after his loan ends, and therefore, a replacement will need to be sourced.

emerging that Leeds United are interested in signing Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, Southampton should also be looking to join that race.

Celtic’s Matt O’Riley wanted this summer

Celtic’s Matt O’Riley's name has been thrown about for a while now in terms of leaving Celtic Park and joining a side in England.

Now, according to Give Me Sport, Premier League sides Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford are two sides looking to sign the former MK Dons midfielder.

While the report also goes on to state that Leeds United could well be an option should they achieve promotion to the Premier League this season.

It is stated that the Whites will likely have a bigger budget to use if promotion is secured and, therefore, could be tempted to make a move for O’Riley.

So, obviously, there are a lot of teams potentially looking to sign the Celtic man this summer, but that shouldn’t stop a side like Southampton from also looking, as he could be an ideal addition to this Russell Martin team.

Southampton should join Leeds in the race for Matt O’Riley

As previously mentioned, Southampton will likely be busy once again this summer, and this is because if promotion is secured, Martin and co. will be keen to strengthen their side as they prepare to play Premier League football.

If promotion isn’t secured, the Saints will likely see some players depart the club, and therefore, replacements will need to be found.

Either way, Southampton will see Downes leave at the end of the season and return to his parent club, West Ham.

The loanee has been an important player for the club this season, so it will be key that they find a suitable replacement, and Celtic’s Matt O’Riley may just be that.

The 23-year-old has been excellent once again for the Scottish side this season, scoring 11 goals and recording 10 assists in 29 Premiership appearances.

O’Riley is averaging a goal every 232 minutes of football and 0.4 per game he plays. Furthermore, the midfielder is averaging an impressive 3.0 shots per game but has surprisingly missed nine big chances, as per Sofascore.com.

The Celtic midfielder has been excellent on the creative side as well, creating 10 big chances for his teammates as well as collecting 2.4 key passes from his 83% pass accuracy per game.

O’Riley has recently been awarded a 9.3 rating for the game against Dundee, while his overall season performance rating is averaging at 7.84, per Sofascore.com.

So, it is clear that O’Riley is performing at a very high level and is doing it on a consistent basis, which will likely keep attracting more and more interest.

If Leeds are potentially looking to sign the 23-year-old if promotion is secured, then there is no reason why Southampton shouldn’t be as well. O’Riley would be a perfect addition for the Saints, as he can operate in multiple positions, but more importantly, his style of play suits how Martin’s team plays.

O’Riley would seemingly fit perfectly into the team’s current system, and while he may be a different player from Downes, you can see the Celtic man flourishing with the Saints, as their attacking style would see him score goals and create plenty of chances.

But, as stated, for this deal to become a reality for the club, they must first secure promotion, and then a deal for O’Riley could be a real possibility.

However, the one possible stumbling block is that it was reported Celtic asked for £25 million when Atletico Madrid made a move for the player and it is unlikely the Scottish side are going to want anything less this summer.