Newcastle United were among the clubs who wanted to sign Matt O’Riley before he joined Celtic from Milton Keynes Dons, as per The Athletic.
The report claimed that the Magpies have been tracking O’Riley, along with Premier League rivals Liverpool and Burnley.
But O’Riley has now made the move to Scotland, where Celtic sit four points behind champions Rangers in the title chase.
He was a man in demand, because Blackburn, Swansea, Royal Antwerp, Bordeaux, PSV Eindhoven, Torino, Sassuolo and Venezia all apparently wanted to sign him.
O’Riley was enjoying a good season in League 1, with seven goals and six assists in all competitions from midfield.
It would have been a big ask for him to come in and shine in a relegation battle, having never played in the top flight before.
Newcastle need players who are established at a higher level already, and the latest major target seems to be Jesse Lingard.
But they can continue to track O’Riley, keeping an eye at how he gets on at a huge club with major demands.
He should get European experience at Celtic too, which will be another new challenge if he passes that, he may be a more viable option.
And Newcastle have the finances to lure a player away from Parkhead after the takeover, so there is no reason why this move spells the end of their longer term hopes of signing him if he keeps playing like he is.
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