Kieran Tierney is set to leave Arsenal amid heavy Celtic return rumours. That exit became pretty much inevitable when the club passed on the chance to extend his contract by another year. And it is not hard to understand why they did so. The Scottish left-back has barely featured in recent times as he has constantly struggled with injury problems.
That has seen him slip down the pecking order at Arsenal because his quality has never been in question. Tierney even spent last season out on loan at Real Sociedad.
Celtic appear to have emerged as the front-runners to get a deal done to sign Tierney. The Scot came up through the ranks at Parkhead and is rumoured to be keen on a return to Glasgow after spending more than half-a-decade in the Premier League with Arsenal.
As reported by TEAMtalk, Tierney is close to signing a pre-contract agreement with Celtic. Sources close to the negotiations also outline the prospect of a loan deal in the January transfer window.
Kieran Tierney close to signing Celtic pre-contract agreement
The chance to sign someone like Tierney does not come around often. On top of that, he is set to be available as a free agent.
Of course, there is going to be an element of risk involved for any team trying to sign Tierney. His injury record is something that cannot, and should not, be ignored. That being said, the reward might be worth the risk in this scenario.
Also, one has to point out the uncertain future of Greg Taylor at Celtic. He has not agreed a contract extension yet with his current deal running out in the summer. At the same time, the left-back is also being linked with a move to Dinamo Zagreb, who the Hoops have faced in the Champions League this season.