Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers insists Matt O’Riley will not be sold this month after confirming the club had rejected an offer from Atletico Madrid for the Denmark midfielder.
Celtic have been braced for bids for the highly-rated midfielder this month amid interest from clubs across Europe including Girona and Inter Milan.
Sky Sports News understands the offer is an initial loan plus an obligation to buy.
Rodgers said: “There was that, but Matt is a player we don’t want to lose and he won’t be going anywhere in January.
“It’s a great testament to him and what the club can do for a player. He won his first international cap this season and Atletico Madrid are a big club in European football.
“But he is very much part of what we are doing. He has been a joy to work with and I had a good chat with Matt this morning and he is someone who will be here for us in the second part of the season.”
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O’Riley said he is proud to play for Celtic after scoring on his 100th appearance for the club against St Mirren
What the stats say
Sky Sports’ Adam Smith
The Celtic midfielder excels across a raft of stats and ranks behind only Rangers full-back James Tavernier in the Sky Sports Power Rankings for the Scottish Premiership this season.
No player in the league has scored more goals from open play, won more possession in the final third or made more touches in the opposition box this term, while the 23-year-old also ranks behind only team-mate Luis Palma for assists.
The graphic below reveals how the Denmark international is typically more prolific from right-of-centre areas and frequently gets into goalscoring positions in and around the six-yard box – but also isn’t shy of taking a shot from distance.
In terms of creativity, O’Riley is prolific from corners and from just outside the box in his centre-right region with through balls and raking passes.
The maps below highlight the midfielder’s all-round contribution with touches spanning the entire pitch, with greater concentrations of activity and defensive actions down his right-hand side.
In terms of passing, O’Riley is most active just inside the opposition half and byline, while also drifting into central areas outside the D. The direction and accuracy sonar also reveals how the midfielder is ambitious with forward passes.
O’Riley is arguably Celtic’s standout performer and has been on the radar of rival powerhouse clubs for some time. The radar graphic below summarises why: he ranks in Europe’s top five per cent for almost every key attacking metric.
Follow the January transfer window
The winter transfer window is now open and will close at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland on Thursday 1 February.
To ensure harmonisation with the major leagues in Europe, the closing dates were set following discussions with the EFL, DFL, Serie A, LaLiga, and LFP, who will all close their summer and winter windows on 1 September and 1 February respectively.
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms, while you can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News, including daily transfer shows, and listen to our Transfer Talk podcast.