It looked set to be a nervous end to the transfer window for those of a Celtic persuasion, with speculation rife regarding the future of emerging talisman, Matt O'Riley, amid significant interest in the silky playmaker.
It was only six months ago that the Old Firm giants were forced to sanction the £25m sale of fan favourite Jota to Saudi Arabian side, Al Ittihad, with fears that history could repeat itself if O'Riley were to be poached over the coming days.
The former MK Dons man – who arrived on a bargain £1.5m deal back in January 2022 – has been the subject of interest from La Liga giants, Atletico Madrid, the Daily Mail reporting on Wednesday that the Spanish side were hoping to land the Denmark international on an initial loan deal that would include a £20m obligation to buy in the summer.
Games
Goals
Assists
101
18
28
54
10
8
44
3
7
15
2
2
5
0
0
That report also suggested that a number of Premier League clubs could seek to rival that interest over the next week or so, albeit with Brendan Rodgers since quashing those claims after offering assurances that he will stay put – having rejected a proposal from Atleti.
Even if the 23-year-old – who was the subject of a £10m bid from Leeds United over the summer – does not depart before the close of the window, however, there would be an expectation that an exit will occur come the end of the season for the "best player in Scotland" at present, as described by former Celtic boss, Neil Lennon.
With that in mind, the Premiership side should already be contemplating how they can replace O'Riley in the centre of the park, be it in January or over the summer, ensuring they should step up their interest in one notable target.
Celtic could land £3m O'Riley replacement
A report from Football Scotland back in December revealed that the Glasgow side were 'considering a move' for Ivorian youngster, Romeo Amane, with the club having sent scouts to watch the Hacken midfielder in action in the Europa League against Qarabag.
Those at Parkhead were seemingly impressed with what they saw as the 20-year-old was 'fast-tracked up the shortlist' by the club's hierarchy, with Celtic able to get their man for a reported fee of just £3m this month.
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A more recent update from the same publication claimed that the 5 foot 7 dynamo is now more likely to be a summer target for Rodgers and Co, with the club perhaps prioritising other areas of weakness, such as in attack and at left-back.
Whether that situation changes in the event of an immediate O'Riley exit remains to be seen, although Amane could represent a dream replacement for the London-born magician in the champions' midfield ranks.
Romeo Amane's style of play
There may be those thinking that Celtic could already have a ready-made replacement for the in-demand O'Riley in the form of Paulo Bernardo, with the Portuguese gem having begun to find his feet in Scottish football, with four goals and assists from his last three league outings.
That has come with the 22-year-old operating alongside O'Riley, rather than in place of him, however, in the absence of Reo Hatate, ensuring that a replacement for the one-time Fulham youth asset may still need to be found.
Equally, with Bernardo only on an initial loan from Benfica, there is no guarantee that he will follow the path of compatriot, Jota, and sign permanently at the end of the season, again opening up the possibility that a figure like Amane will need to be brought in.
While the latter man is a relatively unknown quantity, his sparkling talent was only recently recognised as he was included alongside Odin Thiago Holm in the European Golden Boy award list for 2023 – a list containing the best U21 talents across the continent.
Although the Ivorian is a far more diminutive presence than the 6 foot 2 O'Riley, he appears to share the Celtic man's knack for impacting play at the top end of the pitch, scoring four goals and contributing six assists in 61 games for the Swedish side to date.
That return may be a long way from the Atleti target's 46 goal involvements in 101 outings for the Bhoys, yet with Amane three years younger than the man he could replace, there is certainly room for him to develop under the watchful eye of a figure like Rodgers.
Matt O'Riley's season by numbers
There is no denying that O'Riley's will be difficult shoes to fill, with the one-cap Denmark international having scored ten goals and registered seven assists in just 21 league games this season, having also notably contributed to three assists in just six Champions League group stage appearances.
As Lennon noted, the £14k-per-week ace has "proven himself at the highest level" in Europe's elite competition, with it no surprise that clubs across the continent are now glancing his way.
What is most impressive about Celtic's number 33 is his creative prowess, as he has created six 'big chances' for his teammates in the Premiership this season, as well as averaging 2.6 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.
That is a lot to live up to, although Amane has shown signs that he is on the right path, having created three 'big chances' and averaged 1.4 key passes in 2023 in the Swedish top-flight, while his pass accuracy rate of 86% was actually ahead of O'Riley's (86%).
Such composure on the ball has also married nicely with his work out of possession, with the promising maestro averaging 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game in the Allsvenskan as well as recovering 5.3 balls per game. O'Riley, for context, is only just ahead in that regard, having averaged 2.6 and 6.7 for those same two metrics, respectively.
Of course, plucking Amane from Sweden may represent something of a gamble, while there may be those demanding a more proven option, yet it was certainly a risk securing O'Riley from England's third tier – a risk that has more than paid off.
The ideal scenario would be that the latter man stays put beyond this month and beyond the summer window to remain as the figurehead under Rodgers, although if a looming exit does occur, Amane would represent a worthy replacement.