Newcastle United got back to winning ways on Saturday with a victory against Fulham, stopping the rot of three consecutive defeats in all competitions, including two in the Premier League.

While Fulham were down to ten men early on, the result was important for the Magpies to keep up with the rest of the pack in their hunt for top four.

Head coach Eddie Howe will also be hoping his side can pick up as many points as possible ahead of the January transfer window where he can strengthen the squad. One player in particular has popped up on Newcastle’s radar.

Newcastle transfer news – Matt O’Riley

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Geordie outfit are interested in signing Celtic’s star midfielder Matt O’Riley once the winter market opens up in a little over two weeks.

The outlet also claimed that O’Riley is being eyed up by Championship league leaders Leicester City, which means that they will face competition for his signature.

The Denmark international was a top target for Leeds United during the summer after the Whites were relegated in the previous campaign. The Yorkshire club even submitted a £10m bid for O’Riley which was swiftly rejected by Celtic who are said to be holding out for a fee in excess of £25m.

TEAMtalk are claiming that the Bhoys are looking to break their own record for the most expensive departure in the club’s history by selling O’Riley for more than £25m, beating Kieran Tierney and Jota’s transfer fees.

O’Riley has had a superb spell at Celtic Park so far and even earned huge praise from football scout Jacek Kulig who described him as “immense” following a derby victory for the champions in 2022.

Matt O’Riley’s stats this season

Celtic were given a bargain when the club signed O’Riley from former League One outfit MK Dons back in January 2022 for just £1.5m. The playmaker has gone on to win two league titles since then and two cups with the Hoops.

Additionally, O’Riley has played in several positions for Celtic over the past two years, including as a second striker, a central midfielder, a number ‘10’, and a holding midfielder, showcasing the Dane’s versatility which offers coaches flexibility with their tactical decisions from game to game.

Since moving to Glasgow, O’Riley has scored 17 goals and registered 24 assists in 96 appearances, which averages out at 0.47 goal contributions per game.

Season

Appearances

Minutes

Goals

Assists

2021/22

20

1,209

4

2

2022/23

52

3,308

4

14

2023/24

24

2,042

9

8

Stats via Transfermarkt

Nevertheless, this season has certainly been his most fruitful. O’Riley is currently leading the Scottish Premiership’s goalscoring charts with nine goals already and is level with Rangers winger Abdallah Sima.

Furthermore, due to him recording five league assists, no player has managed to grab more goal contributions this season than the former Fulham academy star.

Newcastle boss Howe has recently brought Lewis Miley through the ranks to potentially become the permanent right central midfielder in his 4-3-3. Now, it looks as though the manager is looking to find a big upgrade for Joelinton on the left.

O’Riley has been outperforming the ex-Hoffenheim star in a number of key defensive metrics this season, showcasing why he could be coming for the Brazilian’s place in the team.

Goals

0.41

0.17

Expected Goals

0.03

0.19

Assists

0.37

0.17

Expected Assists

0.31

0.06

Progressive Passes

4.81

3.88

Progressive Carries

1.48

1.71

Progressive Passes Received

5.37

4.93

Key Passes

2.78

1.64

Passes To Penalty Area

1.11

0.66

Through Balls

0.56

0.07

Tackles

2.59

2.04

Blocks

1.48

1.45

Stats via FBref

These statistics suggest that the Hoops star could provide more quality at both ends of the pitch from a midfield position, both in terms of his ability to score goals and create chances, alongside his defensive strength to win challenges and make blocks.

It looks as though O’Riley is ready to return to English football after a successful period up north and could be a big upgrade on Joelinton, who has two goals and one assist in 14 top-flight matches this term, from a defensive and offensive perspective if he can carry his form over to the Premier League.