West Ham are reportedly interested in making a move for highly-rated Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, with the Hammers sending scouts to watch him in action.
David Moyes’ side have been so unpredictable at times this season, with some fantastic results coming their way, but also a number of poor outings.
Still, West Ham find themselves sitting seventh in the Premier League table going into Thursday’s trip to Arsenal, showing that the positives have outweighed the negatives overall.
Moyes’ future as manager remains up in the air, but in terms of his team’s chances of getting into Europe again next season, he could feel that new signings are required in the January transfer window.
One player who appears to be on the Hammers’ radar is O’Riley, with Football Insider claiming that the east Londoners are eyeing a move for the talented 23-year-old:
“West Ham are keeping close tabs on Celtic star Matt O’Riley, sources have told Football Insider. The Irons have sent scouts to regularly watch the 23-year-old playmaker in action this season including in most of the Hoops’ Champions League group stage matches.
“Their talent spotters watched O’Riley deliver a fine display in Celtic’s 2-1 win over Feyenoord a fortnight ago (13 December) when he supplied his eighth assist of the campaign.”
It isn’t specified when West Ham could look to sign O’Riley, so a January move may not necessarily come to fruition, but he could be an astute signing at the end of the season.
The one-cap Denmark international is arguably one of Celtic’s most naturally gifted footballers, possessing an ability to open up defences in attacking midfield areas, and he is enjoying a superb season to date.
O’Riley has scored nine goals and registered five assists in 19 Scottish Premiership appearances in 2023/24, and he also chipped in with three assists in six Champions League games.
The Celtic ace could give West Ham an extra bit of guile in the middle of the park, and if the feared exit of Lucas Paqueta happens at some point, he could help fill the void with his class.
That being said, O’Riley only signed a contract extension in September, keeping him at Parkhead until the summer of 2027, so a big fee may be needed to prise him away.
