KIERAN TIERNEY could be on his way back to Celtic – in a dramatic loan move.
The former Hoops favourite is heading for the Arsenal exit and has refused to close the door on a sensational reunion with Brendan Rodgers at the champions.
Tierney left the Hoops in the summer of 2019 in a record-breaking £25million switch to the London club and the 26-year-old Scotland international left-back made 36 appearances in all competitions for Mikel Arteta’s side last season.
PRIZE GUYS…Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor celebrate a League Cup triumph.
Interestingly, though, he was handed only four first-team starts after the turn of the year.
The defender still has three years of a lucrative £120,000-per-week contract to run and has been linked with Aston Villa, managed by Unai Emery who bought him for the Gunners, and Eddie Howe at Newcastle.
However, there is the intriguing possibility of Tierney making a remarkable comeback at first love Celtic – but only if a compromise can be reached.
It has been reported Rodgers has a transfer war chest of around £30million, but the Irishman is unlikely to utilise all his funds in one transfer with Arsenal looking to recoup a fair percentage of their initial outlay.
The number 3 position, with Greg Taylor producing some excellent and consistent form throughout the treble-winning campaign, is clearly not an area that needs immediate strengthening.
NUMBER ONE…Kieran Tierney celebrates his first goal for Celtic in the side’s 7-0 win over Motherwell in May 2016 – just a week before Brendan Rodgers took over as manager.
However, a season-long loan could be viewed as a possibility if both a substantial loan fee and a compromise over wages can be agreed with Arsenal and Tierney, according to a report in the Daily Mirror.
Rodgers worked a similar situation when he brought Odsonne Edouard to Glasgow on a 12-month temporary transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017.
The French striker impressed to the extent the Hoops paid £9million – still the club’s highest transfer outlay – to make the switch permanent and, of course, they received £18.5million for the hitman from Crystal Palace last summer.
Tierney has already won eight trophies with the Hoops and picked up the FA Cup with Arteta’s side in 2020.
