Celtic could soften O'Riley's blow by signing a surprise “gem”.

Celtic continued their good start to the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership campaign with a 3-0 win over St Mirren away to Parkhead on Sunday.

The game saw full debuts, for the second time, for Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah as both players started for the first time since their loan spells were made permanent.

Meanwhile, Kasper Schmeichel has kept three clean sheets in his first three league games, while Viljami Sinisalo is still waiting for his first game between the sticks.

The summer transfer window officially closes on Friday night and it looks like Celtic will be busy in the market over the next few days.

Midfielder Matt O'Riley has signed for Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported £26m, which could rise to £30m including add-ons.

The Danish international was one of Brendan Rodgers' key players in the 2023/24 campaign and his exit looks set to tempt Celtic back into the market, having reportedly made a £6.5m bid to sign Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels ahead of the deadline. on Friday.

Why losing Matt O'Riley is a huge blow

The left-footed star is a proven Premiership player who dominated and dominated the middle of the park for the Hoops last season.

He has the ability to single-handedly win games from midfield by driving forward to provide a major threat as a scorer and goal creator, making him a nightmare for opposition teams to deal with.

The former MK Dons champion has found himself in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year for his Premiership champions, along with teammates Callum McGregor, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales.

As you can see from the table above, O'Riley deserved his place in the league's best XI because he was an incredibly influential figure at the Hoops' end of the pitch.

The Danish whiz was directly involved in 31 league goals for the Bhoys, with 18 goals and 13 assists, and topped the charts for his club as a goalscorer and creator.

This shows that O'Riley was the most important attacking threat for Rodgers, as he was a great source of goals and a very talented team player.

The 23-year-old, who produced three goals and 12 assists in 38 games last season in the Premiership, will be hard to replace with one player, given his ability to score and assist goals, meaning Celtic can. he needs more additions to complete his move.

Rather than trying to sign one midfielder who can score more than 30 goals in one Premiership season, which is unlikely given the £30m he will sell for, they could sign a talented midfielder and another wide striker. and the number of goals.

How Celtic can replace Matt O'Riley

The aforementioned interest in Engels from Augsburg suggests they could bring back some of his flair in the middle of the park by signing another midfielder.

The Belgian started just 13 games in the Bundesliga last season but his form in the 2022/23 season suggests he has the ability to provide quality as a creator.

Engels started 18 Bundesliga games that term and created four 'big chances', while making 1.3 key passes per game, and this shows he can provide a creative presence in the middle of the park.

However, they could soften the blow of losing O'Riley by adding another striker to the mix in Norwich City winger Abu Kamara.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Hoops are one of the teams that are eyeing the England U20 player, who has applied for a transfer to Carrow Road.

The England striker appears to be keen on a move away from the Championship, hence his transfer request, and that could open the way for Celtic to make a move for him before Friday's deadline.

Why Celtic should sign Abu Kamara

Rodgers should be quick to sign the 21-year-old Hoops striker as he is a talented young star with the potential to provide a major threat at the other end of the pitch.

While Engels is a midfielder with the quality to provide consistent creativity in the middle of the park, Kamara is a versatile striker who can play either flank or in the center as a central striker.

The left-footed sensation, who played with Idah at school and in the first team in Norfolk, scored 43 goals in 80 appearances for Norwich's U18s and U21s combined before breaking into the senior team.

His impressive goal-scoring form at academy level suggests he could be a major goal-scoring threat, either as a defender or a central or secondary striker, if Rodgers can help him take the next step in his career. work.

As you can see from the table above, Kamara already has one season of first-team football under his belt on loan with Portsmouth for the 2023/24 campaign.

The gem has caught the eye with his contributions as a goalscorer and goal creator, with 18 direct goals in 37 games, and this proves he can consistently deliver at a high level.

Since returning to Norwich this summer, Kamara has yet to start a Championship game but did provide a goal and an assist against Stevenage in the League Cup.

The English champion, loaned to Pompey by journalist Alie Bittar, has the attacking quality to power Celtic into the final third, if he can continue his brilliance from League One to Scotland once again. found the scoring form he showed at the school level to soften the blow of losing O'Riley.