Updated: 29 Apr 2026 16:05 BST |
4 min read
Frustrated Brighton midfielder Matt O’Riley has hinted at a summer transfer, and his former club Celtic would stand to benefit handsomely.
The Denmark international has endured a difficult spell on the South Coast. There was so much excitement when he left Celtic for Brighton in a €29.5 million deal in 2024 because he had been outstanding in Scotland and looked a perfect signing for the Seagulls.
However, his stint got off to the worst possible start. He was injured just nine minutes into his debut and never managed to get the ball rolling afterwards. By the summer of 2025, having played just over 1,200 minutes, he was already on the exit ramp again.
He moved to French giants Marseille on loan and initially played a fair bit. However, he eventually fell out of favour and his minutes decreased. In January, Brighton made the decision to cut his spell short and reintegrate him into the team.
Unfortunately, his fortunes haven’t improved. On the contrary, O’Riley has featured in just four out of a possible 11 games. Fabian Hurzeler has omitted him from five matchday squads, though the midfielder has made substitute appearances, albeit very brief ones, in the last two games.
O’Riley admits he could leave this summer
Naturally, the player is unhappy with this state of affairs. Though he insists that he loves Brighton, O’Riley has admitted that he wants clarity ahead of the summer.
“Honestly, right now, I’m not sure,” he told The Brighton Base when asked about his future. “That’s the honest answer. I’ve always said this. I love being here at Brighton. I love what the club stands for, the values, all the stuff I do with the foundation.
“I have a lot of good relationships with everyone at the club, but, at the same time, as a player, you naturally want to play. We train every day to improve ourselves, of course, but you also train to make an impact for your team on a match day.
“We’ll see how the rest of the season pans out, and, you know, I’d like to hope I’d be involved in some of the games going to the end of the season, but regardless, end of the season, I think I’ll have a bit more clarity on kind of where I stand and how that looks going into the summer.”
If his game time doesn’t improve, the 25-year-old will surely seek a transfer away. This will be good news for Celtic, who included a 10% sell-on clause in his contract when they sold him to Brighton.
Obviously, Celtic would have preferred for O’Riley to be a successful signing for the Seagulls and to be sold on for a massive profit. However, with his minutes having been so limited, Brighton will struggle to recoup the almost €30m they paid for him.
His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has dropped to €22.2m.
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