Leeds United now have the funds available to sign Matt O'Riley from Celtic today, but Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton has cast doubt on whether the deal will happen because of another key factor.
O'Riley has been subject to interest from the West Yorkshire side throughout the summer, with Daniel Farke said to be keen admirer of the midfielder.
Leeds United transfer news - Matt O'Riley
It's been a crazy last week of transfer activity for Leeds, who have been splashing the cash on fresh additions to Farke's squad. Joel Piroe, Djed Spence and Glen Kamara have all joined in recent days, with the Whites now eyeing up yet more additions.
Sky Sports reporter Thornton told GIVEMESPORT yesterday that Celtic midfielder O'Riley - who has previously been dubbed as 'outstanding' - was high up on the club's list of wanted signings, even if their proposals have so far not tempted the Scottish side into a sale.
And now, with just hours left in the transfer window, it's suggested they could yet try and push a deal through for the young midfielder.
Leeds United summer signings | |
|---|---|
Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea) | Undisclosed |
Karl Darlow (Newcastle United) | Undisclosed |
Sam Byram (Norwich City) | Free |
Joe Rodon (Tottenham Hotspur) | Loan |
Joel Piroe (Swansea City) | Undisclosed |
Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur) | Loan |
All fees from Sky Sports | |
What has Tim Thornton said about Matt O'Riley and Leeds United?
When asked about the likelihood of Leeds signing O'Riley, Thornton admitted the Whites did have cash in the bank, but questioned whether a deal would be possible at this late stage.
On the current state of play at Elland Road, the reliable reporter said: “I think he's more about whether or not they can pry him out. I think that's the situation with a lot of the players they've targeted, it's whether they can get them out of the clubs, now that they're not Premier League club anymore.
“So it makes it more difficult to get players, as he’d be leaving Celtic to come and play in the Championship, is that appealing for a player? Some might see that as a good thing, others won't. So I think it just makes it more difficult.
“If Leeds were in the Premier League, then it would be a lot easier to attract some of these players.
“So they've identified lots of different players where they can get them out is different. And I think that's one of the reasons why it's been quite a broad spectrum of players that they've they've looked up and with a view to say, right, these are the ones, now which ones can we actually get?
“It's easy to identify players, it's sometimes more difficult to actually get them out of the clubs. I don't think it will be an issue in terms of budget. I think Leeds could do the deals if they needed to. But I think it's more about whether they can get the players out of the clubs.”