SAINTS have reportedly seen a £14million bid rejected for goalscoring Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley.

The 23 year old scored 19 goals and provided 18 assists for Celtic last season as they won the Scottish Premiership for a third straight season.

The English-born Denmark international has previously worked with Russell Martin during his time in charge of MK Dons.

The Scottish Sun are reporting that Southampton's bid has fallen short of Celtic's valuation for O'Riley.

Their report notes that it could take a record Scottish fee of over £25million for Celtic to sell O'Riley, who is contracted until 2027.

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Manager Brendan Rodgers has stated that he is “relaxed” amid a battle for his star man.

He said:  “Every player has a value, but we see him as a really important player, and while he’s here, we’ll continue to develop him and improve.

“Celtic is a club where you can move on but you don’t have to, and it’s a very difficult club to move on from.

“But naturally, with the wages that are on offer for players, then that makes it a real challenge for Celtic to compete at that level.”

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Italian outfit Atalanta have also reportedly seen a bid rejected earlier in the window, while Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have also seen a bid rebuffed earlier this year. 

O'Riley has previously described Martin as a "big influence" on him and has remained in contact with the retired defender.

O'Riley is currently with Celtic for pre-season and played the first 45 minutes of their 4-3 win over Manchester City in North Carolina.

He also scored a hat-trick on Sunday in a 4-0 win over MLS side DC United in another friendly match.