The rumours linking Kieran Tierney with a return to Celtic are now starting to heat up. Not too long ago, such an idea would have felt like wishful thinking at best. But at this point in time, it feels not only possible but also likely. Arsenal have made a clear decision about his future with the club, as he continues to struggle for playing time in London.
Tierney made his first appearance of the season when Arsenal took on Crystal Palace in the League Cup recently. Otherwise, he has been left on the bench since making his return from injury.
Tierney spent last season out on loan at Real Sociedad. And it is very likely that he would left this summer as well if he had not been out with an injury he picked up while representing Scotland at the UEFA EUROs.
That has been the story of Tierney at Arsenal. After a bright start, he was viewed as a future captain of the club but in recent years, we have seen him slip down the pecking order, largely due to constant injury problems.
Arsenal make final Kieran Tierney decision amid Celtic return links
As reported by The Athletic, Tierney will leave Arsenal next summer at the latest after the Premier League club decided against activating an option to extend his contract. They had the ability to prolong it by 12 months but needed to take up the opportunity by a set date, which has now passed.
Of course, it looks very likely that Tierney will leave Arsenal, either this January or next summer. We all know how quickly things can change in football but it would be a surprise if the Scottish left-back's situation did.
Any return to Celtic would come with its fair share of risk, considering his injury history. But it feels like most fans would welcome him back with open arms.