Rumour: Arsenal will make a third bid for Kieran Tierney

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 13: Kieran Tierney of Celtic celebrates as Celtic win the Ladbrokes Scottish Premier League during the Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on May 13, 2018 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 13: Kieran Tierney of Celtic celebrates as Celtic win the Ladbrokes Scottish Premier League during the Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on May 13, 2018 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Arsenal have been linked to Kieran Tierney throughout the course of the transfer window but the two clubs have not managed to agree on a transfer fee. That may change soon as Arsenal is rumoured to be considering a third bid for the Celtic left-back.

Arsenal has already failed with two bids in their attempt to sign Celtic’s 22-year-old left-back, Kieran Tierney. But it does not look like the Premier League giants are about to give up anytime soon as reports suggest that the London club are about to launch a third bid before the English transfer window closes on 8th August.

Until now, the two clubs have failed to reach an agreement over the transfer fee for the Scottish international. Arsenal insist on paying Celtic’s reported £25 million asking price for the left-back in installments while the Hoops want the money upfront. However, with time running out, Arsenal might finally relent and give Celtic what they are looking for.

A product of the Celtic youth academy, Kieran Tierney has become a mainstay of the Celtic first team since making a breakthrough in the 2015-16 season. Over the course of his four seasons as a senior player, Tierney has made over 150 appearances for his boyhood club. Losing him to Arsenal would be a huge setback for Neil Lennon’s team but it is a loss that the Celtic manager is seemingly prepared for.

Neil Lennon is prepared for a third bid from Arsenal for Kieran Tierney.
Neil Lennon seems prepared for a third bid from Arsenal for Kieran Tierney. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Speaking to the media the day before Celtic’s season opener against St Johnstone, when asked about his star defender, Lennon said: “Normally these things tend to happen again.

“I imagine there will be offers coming in. For certain individual players, the asking price hasn’t been met and the clubs know what the asking price is. So until that valuation is met then thankfully we don’t have a decision to make.

“If we’re talking about Arsenal, they have five or six days to come back in with a revised offer.

“The closer it comes to the end of the window and then something crops up, we are prepared for that aspect of it, but it’s not welcome.”

It feels like Celtic are open to the idea of selling Tierney if Arsenal meet their financial demands. In that case they might as well start looking for suitable replacements for the left-back as Premier League clubs are in the habit of getting what they want.