Southampton are back in the Premier League.
The south-coast club beat Leeds United 1-0 at Wembley on Sunday to restore their top-flight status after just one year away.
The Saints were a mainstay in the Premier League for 10 years before their relegation in 2023, and they’ll be hoping to quickly re-establish themselves once again.
In order to do that, a busy summer of transfers is needed, and speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast, Dean Jones has suggested that Matt O’Riley is someone Southampton could sign this summer.
Interestingly, this comes not long after Tottenham were credited with a strong interest in O’Riley.
Southampton want Matt O’Riley
Jones shared what he knows about the £25m midfielder and interest from Southampton.
“I expect them to try and sign Matt O’Riley from Celtic. I think he will be high on their radar, he’s someone Russell Martin already knows,” Jones said.
“I’ve spoke to someone before who said that if Southampton are promoted that’s the man they want. I think he would prefer to stay in the Premier League, I think he wants to take that step up if he’s to leave Celtic.”
O’Riley ready for the Premier League
Whether he ends up at Southampton, Tottenham or somewhere else, it sounds as though O’Riley is ready for a move to the Premier League.
The midfielder has been fantastic for Celtic this term, and it’s now time for him to test himself at a higher level.
Of course, a move to Southampton would guarantee O’Riley more first-team football under a manager he already knows, but, on the other hand, a move to Spurs would allow him to play European football and potentially challenge at the highest level.
It will certainly be interesting to see where O’Riley ends up this summer after such a fantastic season for Celtic.