Celtic were hoping to sign Kieran Tierney on an initial loan deal from Arsenal this winter before his arrival on a permanent basis in the summer when his contract runs out. But now, it looks like Mikel Arteta's side are not ready to part ways with the Scottish left-back in the middle of the campaign as they do not want to be left short of options in that area of the pitch during a Premier League title chase.
That does leave Celtic in a bad spot though. Alex Valle's loan spell has been cut short in the middle of the campaign and the FC Barcelona left-back is now heading out to Como.
That leaves Greg Taylor as the only option at left-back for Brendan Rodgers. A far from ideal situation when you consider the magnitude of some of the matches that are coming up for Celtic in the second half of the season, including Champions League kncokout games.
So, Celtic might need to make a move before the winter transfer window closes. And now, their plan has been confirmed by a reliable source.
Sky Sports man confirms Celtic plan after Kieran Tierney blow
As reported by Anthony Joseph, Celtic are looking at alternative left-back options as they believe Tierney will stay at Arsenal until the summer. They’ve agreed a pre-contract with the Scottish international and were pushing to sign him in this window. But he looks likely to remain in London.
Celtic have already been linked with one high-profile name as a short-term solution at left-back. That is Tyrell Malacia of Manchester United.
Malacia could prove to be an interesting short-term signing for sure. On the other hand, other names might crop up over the next couple of days as Tierney's situation has now been somewhat cleared up with the latest news.