Newcastle United are reportedly now the 'most likely' team to make a late bid for Celtic central midfielder Matt O'Riley.

The Lowdown: Midfielder wanted

It has been reported that the St. James' Park outfit are looking to bring in a new central midfielder following the injury suffered by Jonjo Shelvey.

They have recently been linked with a move for Olympiacos' Mady Camara and Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, so after the arrival of Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad, more business should be expected in the North East from now until the end of the window.

The Latest: O'Riley bid?

As per ESPN, the Tynesiders, as well as fellow Premier League rivals Leicester City, are the 'most likely' to make a bid for O'Riley, as they try to 'tempt' him into a move to the top flight.

Celtic do not want to sell O'Riley, but a bid in the region of £15m-20m could be tempting to the Hoops, while the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Wolfsburg and Lille are also interested in his signature.

The Verdict: Smart addition

O'Riley would certainly be a smart addition to the group, especially in the absence of Shelvey.

A title-winner with Celtic last season, the six-foot-two maestro joined them in the January transfer window from MK Dons and made an instant impact, scoring four goals and making two assists in 20 games (Transfermarkt).

Hailed as a 'classy' and 'silky' player by Scottish football pundit Michael Stewart, O'Riley would also add some guile into the Magpies' midfield, and sharing the same agent as January arrivals Kieran Tripper and Chris Wood, this is a deal that could get over the line even so late on in the window.