Matt O'Riley sparks Celtic transfer deja vu as Atletico Madrid told Jota threshold is the ONLY route to deal

Celtic are digging their heels in over a sale of Matt O’Riley in the January transfer window with Atletico Madrid the latest club to make a move.

And Stephen McGinn reckons it would take a fee in the region of the £25million banked for Jota as he left for Al-Ittihad last summer to tempt the Scottish Premiership leaders into a sale this month. Record Sport understands Hoops chiefs are ready to knock back a mega money bid from Spanish big guns - which would see the 23-year-old initially move to La Liga on loan before a guaranteed permanent switch in the summer window.

Celtic are under no financial pressure to sell and are determined to have O’Riley on board for the title run in as Brendan Rodgers looks to see off Rangers - with the club likely to hold out for a record-breaking transfer fee. And pundit McGinn reckons that a repeat of the mega-money offer coming in from the Saudi Pro League would be the only reason that the Hoops cash in on the Danish international.

Asked if he could see a deal happening this month on Go Radio, the Falkirk captain said: 'No I don't. I don't see any team giving out their best players on loan in January.

"One thing Celtic have been good at in the last 5-10 years is they do tend to lose their best players in the summer which gives them time to replace. It wouldn't make any sort of sense to sell Matt O'Riley in January - unless a bid comes up like the Jota one that is too good to turn down."