Manchester United leading race for 23-year-old midfielder, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan also interested: Reports
Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing 23-year-old Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley in the summer transfer window.
According to Glasgow World, the Red Devils could face competition from Atletico Madrid, who reportedly had an £18 million bid rejected in the winter. Additionally, Italian giants Inter Milan and Spanish club Girona are also said to be interested in the player.
Given the situation, this report believes that signing O'Riley could become an expensive affair, with Celtic looking to secure a Scottish record-transfer fee. This season, the central midfielder has played 42 matches across competitions, bagging 13 goals and 16 assists.
Manchester United are looking to strengthen their midfield area, which could be weakened by the potential departure of Casemiro in the summer. With the emergence of youngster Kobbie Mainoo at Old Trafford this season, the Premier League club will want to secure the perfect long-term partner for him.
O'Riley could be that option, given he's yet to reach his peak and is already contributing heavily from midfield. The Denmark international would also get the opportunity to play at one of the biggest clubs in the world and compete in the Premier League.
Although the Red Devils are currently struggling and seventh in the league, not many would ket go of the opportunity to play for the 20-time English champions. O'Riley will also link up with other exciting young prospects like striker Rasmus Hojlund and Willy Kambwala at Old Trafford.
Diogo Dalot provides damning tactical analysis after recent Manchester United performances
Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot seemingly disagreed with Erik ten Hag's tactical approach in recent matches. The Portugal international claimed that the gap between his team's defense and midfield is a bit much at times, which has resulted in swift counterattacks.
Most recently, the Red Devils salvaged a point at Bournemouth in a 2-2 draw after allowing the home side to rack up 20 shots, out of which five tested Andre Onana. Speaking after this game, Dalot said (via Mirror):
"I think it's a fact. Maybe we're taking too many risks, sometimes the gap between the defense and midfield is a little too big. This is why sometimes we are getting the counterattacks too many times and are conceding too many shots."
Manchester United have now conceded a minimum of 20 shots in nine of their last 10 league matches. It may be time to take a look at their tactical approach despite Ten Hag backing this system.