Speculation about Matt O'Riley's future had been a daily constant in Scotland's media long before confirmation of his transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion from Celtic for what is likely to be a Scottish record fee. Indeed, since Atletico Madrid had an approach rejected in January, it has seemed only a matter of time before somebody matched Celtic's valuation for the elegantly influential 23-year-old. This summer, it had been Atalanta who were most strongly linked with the London-born Denmark international - until Brighton made the decisive move. So what are the Premier League club getting and how might his departure affect Celtic?

A Transfer That Breaks Records

The move will set a new record transfer fee received by a Scottish club, which previously stood at £25m following Jota's move from Celtic to Al Ittihad last summer. Celtic had rejected five bids from Atalanta for O'Riley - who scored 19 goals and contributed 18 assists last season - with the Italian club's highest offer being £21.5m plus add-ons. The 23-year-old Denmark international was under contract at Celtic until 2027, with the club also knocking back an offer of £20m from Atletico Madrid in January.

Brighton's Big Spending Summer

Brighton have already made some big money additions this summer with the club-record £40m signing of forward Georginio Rutter and midfielder Brajan Gruda joining for around £25m. The Seagulls are clearly ambitious and are looking to build on their impressive recent performances, which saw them secure a European place last season.

O'Riley's Rise Through the Ranks

A native of Hounslow, O'Riley joined Fulham's academy at the age of eight, graduating to a first-team debut as a 16-year-old in an EFL Cup win away to Wycombe Wanderers. However, having made just five appearances and only one in the league as a substitute, in the three years thereafter, the England youth international rejected the offer of a new contract and joined MK Dons in League One. With 10 goals in 54 appearances, nearly all of them starts, O'Riley had already shown his goal threat from midfield. Those performances persuaded Celtic to shell out a reported £1.5m in January 2022 to match his release clause.

A Key Player for Celtic

Eligible to represent Denmark and Norway via his mother's side of the family, it only took three months starring in the Premiership for O'Riley to be called up to Denmark Under-21s. Four years on and he has accumulated three league winners' medals, two for the Scottish Cup and one for the League Cup as well as vital experience on the European club stage. O'Riley's statistics are impressive. Since arriving at Celtic, he has provided more assists than anyone in the Scottish Premiership, his 29 being six more than Rangers captain James Tavernier. O'Riley ranks third when combining goals and assists, his 54 involvements only two behind Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland and seven adrift of Tavernier, Rangers' regular penalty taker.

A Versatile Midfielder

O'Riley (217) is second only to Tavernier (275) and well ahead of the next best, Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong (173) in terms of chances created - and only 10 behind the Rangers captain when considering only those from open play. As for touches in the box, O'Riley outshines any Premiership player, his 555 being more than Shankland's 498 and well ahead of team-mate Daizen Maeda and recent Girona capture from Aberdeen, Bojan Miovski. O'Riley is also fourth best for successful crosses behind Tavernier, Armstrong and former Rangers left-back Borna Barisic - and his 25 goals over the past two years is only bettered by four strikers and Tavernier. Those steadily improving numbers mean O'Riley had possibly now overtaken captain Callum McGregor and Japan's Reo Hatate in terms of importance to Celtic.

A Loss for Celtic, a Gain for Brighton

The trio have been central to a scintillating start to this season for Brendan Rodgers' side. Acknowledging their role last week, the manager said: "In my history as a coach, the dynamic midfield three is always important. It's never about one player, it's always about the three. And I think that it was probably only into the latter stages of last season that those three came together. And I think you've seen the flow and the dynamism and how it all makes the team function." Rodgers had repeatedly said he did not want to lose "a brilliant player" with "phenomenal mentality", saying he already needed an extra central midfielder to bolster his squad for the Champions League even if O'Riley stayed. Soundings from Celtic suggested it would take an offer north of the club's reported £25m record sales for both Kieran Tierney and Jota to prise O'Riley away.

What's Next for O'Riley and Celtic?

After McGregor and Hatate both scored in O'Riley's absence in Sunday's 3-0 win over St Mirren, Rodgers expressed his frustration at the slow wheels of Celtic recruitment. However, he vowed that the squad would be improved before the transfer window closed and that speed will only surely hasten armed with the O'Riley money. Matt O'Riley will hope a move will bring more Denmark caps. O'Riley will have been disappointed to have missed out on the Denmark squad for this summer's Euro 2024 finals. After handing him a start in their 2-0 qualifying defeat by Northern Ireland in Belfast, then head coach Kasper Hjulmand explained in March he thought O'Riley had six better midfielders in front of him.

A New Chapter in Brighton

Europa League winners Atalanta had appeared to be favourites for his signature, but after reportedly failing with a series of bids, the Serie A club last week signed Serbia international Lazar Samardzic from Udinese. Unlike the Italians - and Celtic - Brighton cannot offer European football this season, but they have been investing heavily this summer under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler. Pascal Gross has joined Borussia Dortmund and Adam Lallana moved to Southampton, while defensive midfielder Mats Wieffer has arrived from Feyenoord and Turkey international Ferdi Kadioglu is also on the verge of a move from Fenerbahce. Hurzeler, who led St Pauli to promotion to the Budesliga before becoming the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history, sees the latest arrival as a bit a "specialist". "He is very good at occupying and attacking the right space," he told his club website. "He likes making deep runs and knows when to attack at the right time. He enjoys getting forward and attacking the opponent's penalty area, but he also has a good defensive instinct. That balance makes him special."

A New Challenge

O'Riley has a languid running style that is somewhat deceiving given his qualities as a constantly involved, pivotal all-rounder. A somewhat different player to the more defensive Billy Gilmour, who impressed Hurzeler against Manchester United on Saturday, but the latest arrival will further fuel speculation about the Scotland midfielder's future amid reported interest from Napoli.

A Bold Move for Brighton

The question for Celtic is how do they replace someone who has made such an impact? They will need to go into the transfer market for a tried and tested attacking midfielder to fill that giant O'Riley-shaped hole in the Parkhead dressing room. Brighton's gain is most certainly Celtic's loss. Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton on Sky Sports: "He was Celtic's best player last season and they can't replace him essentially. I don't think they need just one body in, they need more than that. Replacing Matt O'Riley is nigh on impossible. Paulo Bernardo will get the chance to show what he can do on a consistent basis. Celtic need more quality in the building. O'Riley is an enormous loss, to lose him this late is a problem for Celtic." Former Celtic midfielder Stiliyan Petrov on Sky Sports: "You can see how badly they will miss O'Riley but the club will continue. It is important how they spend that money. Celtic and Rangers produce players which other teams look to take to strengthen their teams. O'Riley has really matured in the last year and I am not surprised a Premier League team has come in for him with a big price."

The Verdict

Brighton has made a statement signing with the acquisition of Matt O'Riley. He brings with him a wealth of experience, an impressive track record, and a hunger to succeed at the highest level. While his departure leaves a void at Celtic, it's a bold move by Brighton that could pay dividends in the years to come. Only time will tell how O'Riley will fare in the Premier League, but one thing is certain: he has the talent and the drive to make a significant impact at Brighton and establish himself as a top-flight player.