Chelsea Enter £20m Race for Celtic Star Matt O’Riley Amid Gallagher Exit Rumors

Chelsea have joined the competition to sign Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, whose performances for the Scottish champions have attracted considerable interest from several Premier League clubs.

Chelsea see O’Riley as a potential replacement for Conor Gallagher, who has turned down a new contract offer from the Blues amid interest from Atletico Madrid.

Gallagher’s potential departure, which could fetch around £34 million, might provide the necessary funds for Chelsea to secure O’Riley.

The 22-year-old Danish international has been the subject of multiple bids, including a rejected £14 million offer from Southampton.

Crystal Palace and Brighton are also keen on the midfielder, while Italian side Atalanta has pursued him throughout the summer.

O’Riley, however, has reservations about joining Chelsea, as he seeks assurances of regular first-team appearances rather than being a squad player.

Chelsea may need to offer more than £20 million plus add-ons to convince Celtic to sell, as manager Brendan Rodgers insists he will only depart for a satisfactory price.

In other Chelsea transfer news, the club recently finalized a £20.7 million deal for Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

Meanwhile, left-back Ben Chilwell is attracting interest from Manchester United, with concerns that he may not fit into Enzo Maresca’s tactical plans, which favor inverted full-backs.