Brighton sign Celtic midfielder O’Riley for over £25m

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Brighton has secured the signing of midfielder Matt O’Riley from Scottish champions Celtic for a fee reported to exceed £25 million.

The London-born Denmark international has committed to a five-year contract, keeping him at the club until June 2029.

O’Riley, 23, made 125 appearances for Celtic, scoring 27 goals and winning six trophies, including three Scottish Premiership titles.

The transfer fee sets a new Scottish record, surpassing the amounts paid for Jota by Al-Ittihad last summer and Kieran Tierney’s £25 million move to Arsenal in 2019.

This deal also represents a significant profit for Celtic, who originally signed O’Riley from MK Dons in 2022 for a reported £1.5 million.

O’Riley is Brighton’s seventh signing in a busy summer that has also seen the club break its transfer record with a £40 million deal for French forward Georginio Rutter from Leeds, and secure Netherlands midfielder Mats Wieffer from Feyenoord for around £25.5 million.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side currently sits second in the Premier League after victories over Everton and Manchester United in their first two games of the season.