Southampton could face having to pay a significant sum to land transfer target Matt O'Riley in this window.
The Celtic star is reportedly of interest to a number of sides around Europe, including Liverpool, Atalanta and Atletico Madrid. Saints, however, are apparently convinced they are firmly in the hunt for his signature.
The 23-year-old Denmark international scored 19 goals in all competitions in an outstanding season under Brendan Rodgers in 2023/24, in which Celtic won the domestic double.
There is a growing expectation that the Scottish champions will cash in on the player before the transfer window closes, but it will take a potentially record sum to convince them to sell.
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Could O'Riley to Southampton be a record sale for Celtic?
According to the Sunday Mirror, as reported by Give Me Sport, Southampton would need to offer a fee of £30 million ($38.8m) to prise O'Riley away from Celtic.
That sum would eclipse the previous record sale by a Scottish club, which was set when the Bhoys sold Kieran Tierney to Arsenal for £25m five years ago.
Such an outlay would be a sizeable part of Southampton's transfer budget ahead of their return to Premier League football.
Does Russell Martin give Saints the edge in O'Riley chase?
Despite the competition for his signature, there is a feeling that Southampton could have a trump card when it comes to trying to land O'Riley.
The player worked under Saints boss Russell Martin at MK Dons prior to his move to Celtic, and it is claimed he would be happy with a reunion.
O'Riley played 49 games in League One before signing for Celtic in January 2022 for around £1.5m ($2m).
