Celtic ended their 2023/24 campaign in style last month as they added the SFA Cup to their collection with a 1-0 win at Hampden against their local rivals.
A 90th-minute goal from Adam Idah, who pounced on a weak parry from Jack Butland to slot into the back of the net, secured the trophy for the Hoops.
That came a week after the Bhoys had lifted the Scottish Premiership title at Parkhead, which meant that Brendan Rodgers won two trophies in his first season back in Glasgow.
The Northern Irish manager was brought in to replace Ange Postecoglou, who moved down south to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur last summer, and enjoyed a respectable start to his second stint with the club.
He will now have another chance to add more quality to his playing squad during the upcoming summer transfer window to bolster his side in the pursuit of more pieces of silverware next season.
Rodgers is reportedly already eyeing up a reunion with one of his former players to strengthen his options in the middle of the park ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Celtic's interest in bargain free agent swoop
According to Football Insider, the Hoops boss is lining up a swoop to sign Scotland international Stuart Armstrong on a free transfer this summer.
The report claims that the Scottish giants are considering a deal to snap up the experienced ace for nothing after his release from Southampton.
Football Insider describes his exit from the English side as a 'surprise' and the Bhoys could now look to take advantage of his shock move away from St. Mary's by sealing a move for him.
The outlet states that the 32-year-old central midfielder is 'very much' on their radar but he is not their first-choice option in the market at this moment in time.
Rodgers is said to be looking for big backing from the board in order to compete in the Champions League next season, and that other, younger, alternatives will be looked at before they decide to sanction a deal for Armstrong.
The report does not, however, reveal whether or not the player himself is keen on a return to Parkhead this summer, as he may have other options to consider in other leagues.
If Celtic do opt to pursue a bargain swoop for the midfielder, though, and reach an agreement with him, Rodgers could land an exciting partner for Matt O'Riley in the middle of the park.
Matt O'Riley's exceptional season in numbers
The Denmark international enjoyed an exceptional 2023/24 campaign as he swept up the Young Player of the Year, Player's Player of the Year, and Player of the Year awards at the club's awards night last month.
He was able to showcase his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals throughout the season to help his side win the Scottish Premiership title once again.
O'Riley had only scored three goals in 38 league games under Postecoglou last term and stepped his game up under Rodgers to fire in an eye-catching 18 goals in 37 Premiership outings.
This suggests that the Northern Irish boss has pushed the Danish whiz, who was signed from MK Dons in January 2022, to get himself into more goalscoring positions from midfield.
Sofascore rating
7.91
1st
Assists
13
1st
Big chances created
14
1st
Key passes per game
2.5
1st
Goals
18
1st
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old magician was also a standout performer for the Hoops when it came to creating chances for his teammates.
He led the team in assists, 'big chances' created, and key passes per game throughout the Premiership campaign, which speaks to how frequently the midfielder split open the opposition's defence to create high-quality opportunities for his fellow forwards.
Overall, these statistics show that O'Riley is an all-round attacking threat who offers immense quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a central midfield position, which means that he is a match-winner who can cause constant problems for opponents.
Rodgers could now land an exciting partner for him in the middle of the park by swooping to sign Armstrong, who is another midfielder with the ability to make a big impact in the final third.
Why Celtic should sign Stuart Armstrong
Firstly, the Scottish ace is available on a free transfer and this makes him a bargain option for the club as they will not have to pay a fee to any club to snap him up.
Armstrong, who was hailed as "smooth" by manager Russell Martin, could also hit the ground running as it would be his second stint at Parkhead alongside Rodgers, who he worked with for two years before his move to Southampton in 2018.
The attacking midfielder racked up 23 goals in 98 Premiership appearances for the Scottish giants between 2015 and 2018, after his move from Dundee United, and this suggests that he would not need much time to adapt to the division.
His form for Southampton in the Championship this season also suggests that the quality is still there for him to come in as an exciting option in midfield next to O'Riley.
He ranked within the top 9% of midfielders in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.20), the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.33), and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90 (8.46) this term, which speaks to how impressive Armstrong was as a creator in comparison to his positional peers.
Starts
33
Goals
5
xA
7.08
Big chances created
11
Key passes per game
1.6
Assists
7
As you can see in the table above, this was backed up by his chance creation numbers in the Championship as the experienced ace racked up 11 'big chances' created in 33 matches – one every three games on average.
Meanwhile, no Celtic midfielder aside from O'Riley managed more than six assists or three goals in the Premiership, which indicates that he could improve the team's attacking output.
These statistics show that the 32-year-old ace is very much still in top form and his powers have not waned yet, which is why this could be a great time for the Hoops to snap him up.
Celtic could start the window perfectly with £4m+ swoop for star target
The Hoops are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the shot-stopper this summer.
ByDan Emery
They could get an exciting partner for O'Riley in midfield, as they can both cause constant problems with their quality in the final third, without spending a penny on transfer fees, whilst also landing someone who has already worked with Rodgers at Parkhead.