Roma step up efforts to sign Matt O’Riley, Brighton reluctant to sell | OneFootball

Roma step up efforts to sign Matt O’Riley, Brighton reluctant to sell | OneFootball

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·9 de julio de 2025

Roma step up efforts to sign Matt O’Riley, Brighton reluctant to sell

Imagen del artículo:Roma step up efforts to sign Matt O’Riley, Brighton reluctant to sell

Roma are prepared to offer ex-Celt Matt O’Riley his ideal midfield position, as speculation grows over a possible departure from Brighton this summer…

Imagen del artículo:Roma step up efforts to sign Matt O’Riley, Brighton reluctant to sell

Matt O’Riley of Brighton & Hove Albion (second left) warms up with his teammates prior to the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Crawley Town at Amex Stadium on August 27, 2024. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

New Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini has had a long-standing interest in the Denmark international, having admired him during his time at Atalanta prior to the midfielder’s high-profile £25 million move from Celtic to The Seagulls last summer.


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Although O’Riley scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 win against Manchester City in November 2024, his debut season on the south coast was hampered by injuries, limiting him to only 23 appearances across all competitions.

Italian media have linked the former Celtic star with a switch to Serie A, and while The Athletic reports that Brighton are not actively seeking to sell him, they are open to evaluating any incoming offers.

Imagen del artículo:Roma step up efforts to sign Matt O’Riley, Brighton reluctant to sell

Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of Atalanta BC looks on prior to the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Udinese Calcio at Gewiss Stadium on March 04, 2023 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)

Should Roma sign the 24 year-old, Gasperini plans to deploy O’Riley as a classic number eight or dynamic box-to-box midfielder.

With 2022 World Cup winner Leandro Paredes nearing a return to Boca Juniors, Roma is searching for midfield reinforcements and are interested in Palmeiras standout Richard Rios as well as Lens’ Moroccan international Neil El Aynaoui.

This follows recent remarks from O’Riley, who voiced his frustration over being played out of position by Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler last season.

Imagen del artículo:Roma step up efforts to sign Matt O’Riley, Brighton reluctant to sell

Matt O’Riley of Celtic poses for a photo with the PlayStation Player Of The Match award after the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and Atletico Madrid at Celtic Park on October 25, 2023. (Photo by Jan Kruger – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

During an interview while representing Denmark on international duty last month, O’Riley was clear about his preferred role. He said: “I’m just giving my opinion. It makes it difficult to show off when you play a position you’re not completely happy with.”

“I can play better for the team if I play the number 8 position, but I can play well in other positions. You can say it in a way that is not aggressive. If you are honest with another person, you don’t lose anything. The coach can always say he doesn’t agree.”

Imagen del artículo:Roma step up efforts to sign Matt O’Riley, Brighton reluctant to sell

Matt O’Riley of Brighton celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Manchester City FC at Amex Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

“I’ve become better at defending myself, being more aggressive and intense in duels. My coach said I should work on my defensive attitude so that I could defend better and help the team in that way. I think that will also help on the national team.”

“I’m best at the number eight position, where I can go box to box. I’ve only played two games there, otherwise, I’ve been used as a winger, false number nine, or something else.”

Conor Spence

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