Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney is prepared to reject Manchester City and Newcastle United and will consider a shock return to Scottish giants Celtic, according to a report.
Tierney is a product of the Celtic academy. Having made his first-team debut in April 2015, he went on to play 170 games for the Hoops, registering eight goals and 37 assists in that time. The left-back took the next step in his career in August 2019 by joining Arsenal for £25million.
Over the next two years, Tierney established himself as Arsenal’s first-choice left-back. However, his place in the side came under threat last summer when Arsenal captured Oleksandr Zinchenko from City.
While Tierney made 36 appearances across all competitions last term, he did not start as many of Arsenal’s big matches as he would have liked. Manager Mikel Arteta tended to go with Zinchenko instead as he likes how the Ukrainian can step into midfield and help with Arsenal’s build up play.
Due to Tierney’s frustrating season, it comes as no surprise that he has been linked with a move away from the Emirates. Newcastle have been widely tipped to sign him due to their need for a new left-back.
But according to the Daily Mail, Newcastle will face competition from City to sign the Scot. Pep Guardiola has decided on him as a solid replacement for Joao Cancelo, who appears set to leave City on a permanent basis following his six-month Bayern loan. Coincidentally, Cancelo is rumoured to be a target for Arsenal.
Although, both Newcastle and City are at risk of missing out on Tierney to Celtic. The Sun report that Tierney is weighing up a ‘sensational’ return to Celtic Park.
It is claimed Tierney will consider his future while resting over the next few weeks. It is highly likely he will come to the conclusion that he wants to leave Arsenal in order to become an important player elsewhere.
Kieran Tierney may head back to former club
While Newcastle and City can offer both Tierney and Arsenal more money than Celtic, there is still a good chance the 26-year-old will end up back in Scotland.
The Sun suggest Celtic may sign him on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent transfer next summer. This would give them 12 months to save up for Tierney’s full transfer fee. New manager Brendan Rodgers has been given a £30million budget, though this will not be enough to sign Tierney permanently straight away.
The report adds that Tierney would struggle to turn down a move back to Celtic, having come through their youth setup and helped them win five Scottish titles.
Plus, the transfer would allow Tierney to reunite with Rodgers. Tierney excelled under the manager after breaking into the Celtic team and may be up for a huge reunion.
Tierney must now decide whether he wants to continue playing in the Premier League, or if he wants to follow his heart and return to Scotland.
