Southampton Set To Smash Scottish Transfer Record For Celtic Star

It is no secret that Russell Martin is an admirer of Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley and he has already been linked with a move to St Mary's, however the Danish International is in big demand and it will potentially take a Scottish Record transfer fee to secure his signature.

The media in Scotland are stoking up the Matt O'Riley transfer saga and The Daily Record are claiming that Southampton are about to put in a bid that will smash the Scottish transfer record.

That is currently set at around the £27 million mark and indeed that would be a Saints club record if they were to pay that, but it seems that Matt O'Riley is top of Russell Martin's shopping list this summer.

Celtic seem resigned to losing the midfielder and are clearly briefing the media to try and stir up a bidding war, Southampton are said to not be the only club interested, Brighton are also named plus Juventus, Inter Milan Atalanta and Atletico Madrid.

But it is Saints whom the Scottish press seem to think are the most serious about landing the Danish International, who is actually English and born in Hounslow, playing one game for Fulham before joining MK Dons where he first came to the attention of Russell Martin.

Saints and indeed Russell Martin seem keen to make this deal happen, O'Riley is currently valued around the £20 million mark and that may well be the starting point for a formal bid, however it seems that Celtic will turn that down and hope to start a bidding war, but it seems that this is not phasing Southampton.

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