Matt O’Riley will be going nowhere in this transfer window, according to Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, after the club kicked out a bid from Atletico Madrid that fell ‘way short of their valuation’ of the player.

Rodgers has taken a hardline stance to the possibility of losing O’Riley before the month is out, with his team currently involved in a tight title race and with the Scottish Cup to also defend.

And while the Celtic manager understands the allure of making a move to one of La Liga’s top sides from his player’s point of view, he has taken steps to ensure that O’Riley has not had his head turned by their interest.

"Matt is a player we don't want to lose, and he won't be going anywhere in January,” Rodgers said.

"It's a great testament to him and what the club can do for a player. He won his first international cap this season and Atletico Madrid are a big club in European football.

READ MORE: Celtic players put blinkers on amid transfer speculation

"But he is very much part of what we are doing. He has been a joy to work with and I had a good chat with Matt this morning and he is someone who will be here for us in the second part of the season.

"It's one of the things I have been really impressed with Matt, his mentality, his professionalism and the respect he has for Celtic.

"He had an opportunity in the summer, but he was very happy to extend here and obviously Atletico Madrid is a huge club, but he also knows he is in a great place here. He has really kicked on this season and he wants to continue with that.

“We have no want to sell and no need to and he will be here for the second part of the season.

“Every single player has a value, and everyone knows the club and the club’s model. But there is no need at this point to do it. The valuation we have is nowhere near the offers we’ve had in.”

That no-go policy extends to the other key members of his squad, with speculation also surrounding the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers throughout the January window.

"They won't be going, it's as simple as that,” he said.

“January is a difficult month anyway, whether it's bringing players in or looking to sell players. It's not something we want to do. We have no interest in that.”

Rodgers has often praised O’Riley for his professionalism and his attitude towards ensuring he becomes the best player he possibly can, so he had little concern over the prospect of the 23-year-old downing tools when he heard that Celtic had rejected an offer from such a club, and deprived him of that opportunity.

He revealed though that he took time to have a frank discussion with O’Riley over his situation - and the club’s viewpoint - on Thursday morning, just to ensure that his head hadn’t been turned by news of the bid from the Spanish giants.

“It’s just about being open and honest with him,” he said.

“Listen, I could have ignored it. But I pulled him in this morning, and we had a good chat about it.

“I like to be open with the player, so they understand the feeling. But him and I have been like that from the first day.

READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers in Rangers penalty dig after Celtic offside

“That is coaching, that is management. It’s that relationship between the coach and the coachee. And you have to have that, I think, to get the best out of players.

“So, he understands totally and knows where he is at. He’s had it before in the summer and has seen the progress he’s made since then.

“It’s flattering when it’s a real prestigious club of the European game. And he’s had the experience of working against them and seeing it.

“But he’s real sensible guy with a lot of common sense. He knows how he has developed and what we want him for in the second half of the season.”