[ad_pod ]
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Celtic have rejected a bid from Arsenal in the region of £25m for Kieran Tierney, according to BBC Sport.
What’s the story?
Tierney has been the subject of interest throughout the summer from Arsenal and Napoli with the left-back’s future far from certain. With Arsenal upping their bid though, the Emirates certainly appears the more likely destination for the 22-year-old.
Tierney has been a key player for Celtic ever since he broke through in 2015 but has been restricted to just nine appearances this calendar year. The left-back has been dealing with hernia issues and is still some way from making a full return.
Neil Lennon has brought Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo in from Rapid Vienna in a £3m deal, yet this is no final nail in Tierney’s Celtic career. Emilio Izaguirre left Parkhead this summer, so Mbombo could just be competition for the 22-year-old Scotland international.
The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…
Tierney staying could hurt future deals
The issue that could arise for Lennon and the Celtic board is that turning down £25m for Tierney (potentially the highest Arsenal will go with their limited budget) might stop other promising players coming to Celtic Park in the future.
We’ve seen in the past that players from Europe come to Celtic knowing if they perform to a certain standard they will likely attract Premier League interest.
The likes of Moussa Dembele, Victor Wanyama and Virgil van Dijk are perfect examples. Those three, and Tierney too, gave so much to Celtic and in return, all were allowed to leave when their asking price was met.
Arsenal’s Tierney bid is the biggest the club has ever received and blocking the deal could put off youngsters like Wanyama, van Dijk and Dembele from coming to Celtic Park and developing.
The pathway is clear – sign for Celtic, play well in Europe and win some trophies, get your dream move to the Premier League and earn the Hoops a hefty profit in doing so.
Blocking this route could see players who view the Scottish Premiership as a stepping stone decide that a move to Scotland will not advance their careers, as it has done for so many in the past.
The club needs to be careful with this deal because it could have drastic ramifications down the line, even if keeping Tierney seems appealing in the short-term.
