VIRGIL VAN DIJK has words of caution for Kieran Tierney as the Arsenal transfer saga rumbles on with the London club left with only nine days to push the proposed £25million deal over the line.
The English signing deadline is a week on Thursday at 5pm and if the Londoners can put together an acceptable offer without unrealistic add-ons they have a chance of capturing the Celtic left-back.
Two proposals so far have been booted out by the Parkhead hierarchy, the first a derisory £15million submission for a player already experienced in football at European and international level for club and country.
Van Dijk has been in a similar situation to Tierney before his £12.5million switch to Southampton in August 2015 that led to him becoming the world’s most expensive defender when Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp splashed an incredible £75million to take him to Liverpool in 2017.
The cultured back-four performer was in Ronny Deila’s team when Tierney made his baptisim for the top side as a late substitute for Emilio Izaguirre against Dundee on April 22 2015 and made an impressive start to his career with the visitors claiming three points in a hard-fought 2-1 triumph at Dens Park.
The classy Dutchman, a Champions League winner last month after the Merseysiders’ 2-0 victory over Spurs, is an admirer of the Hoops’ 22-year-old Scotland international and reckons he has the ability to make the transition from the top flight in Scotland to England.
However, Van Dijk, speaking to the Evening Times, warned: “It is not an easy step to make and you have to play well to do it.
“But he has the qualities.
”Kieran made his debut against Dundee when I was at Celtic. I scored a free-kick up there and then he came on and helped us get the win. You could tell he was a good player who would do well.”
Tierney, of course, is currently out of action with a pelvic problem following a double hernia operation in the summer and hasn’t figured in any Celtic game so far.
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