Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will know that he may have to fight to keep hold of some of his best players at Paradise when the summer transfer window opens for business.
The Hoops boss lost Carl Starfelt and Portuguese forward Jota ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and may worry that similar moves will take place this year.
One player who Celtic may be in danger of losing is talented attacking midfielder Matt O'Riley, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
Journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, recently reported that Brighton are interested in a deal to sign the Danish whiz, who the Scottish giants have hit gold on since his move to the club, as his current valuation makes him worth more than former Hoops stars Odsonne Edouard and Kieran Tierney combined.
How much Celtic raked in for Odsonne Edouard and Kieran Tierney
Back in the summer of 2019, Premier League side Arsenal swooped in to sign the Bhoys left-back for a staggering fee of £25m – making him the most expensive Scottish player in history at the time.
Two years later, the Hoops were raided once again by a team from the English top-flight as Crystal Palace secured a deal to sign Edouard for an initial fee of £14m, that could rise to £18.5m including add-ons.
Appearances
170
179
Goals
8
87
Assists
37
38
This shows that Celtic made a whopping £39m from the pair, that could rise to £43.5m if the add-ons have been or are met by the Eagles forward, in that two-year period.
O'Riley, however, is now reportedly valued at a fee that is higher than the combined amount of money the club raked in for Tierney and Edouard.
Matt O'Riley's soaring market value
The Hoops swooped to sign the Denmark international from English League One side MK Dons for a fee of around £1.5m in January 2022.
He produced four goals and two assists in 20 matches during the second half of that term, and then went on to rack up four goals and 14 assists in 51 outings during the 2022/23 campaign.
This season, the 23-year-old star, whose "phenomenal" consistency was lauded by Rodgers, has taken his game to new heights with a sensational return of 19 goals and 18 assists in 48 games.
His superb form on the pitch for Celtic this term has led to the club placing a mouth-watering valuation of £50m on his head, per Alan Nixon's aforementioned report on Brighton's interest in him, which is at least £6.5m more than Edouard and Tierney's combined fees.
That staggering £50m price tag means that his value has soared by a mind-blowing 3,233% from the initial £1.5m that they paid MK Dons to sign him over two years ago.
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Therefore, the Hoops hit gold when they signed the left-footed star from the English side as he has been a tremendous performer on the pitch for the Scottish side and could now make them a gigantic profit if Brighton, or any other interested team, decide to meet his current valuation.