Celtic boss Neil Lennon has claimed that the club are ready to fight off interest from any club that is interested in Kieran Tierney and that includes Arsenal.
The North London club made two bids for Tierney with one of them potentially reaching £25m. But both the offers were rejected by those in charge at Celtic.
Speaking on Arsenal’s pursuit of Tierney, Lennon said(as per Mirror):
‘I’ve had no information other than there were two bids that came in from Arsenal that were rejected. They put a bid in that they valued the player at. They came back again and obviously see Kieran as a very good player as we do.
‘But on a long-term contract, we’re in a very strong position when it comes to Kieran.
‘We have got no intentions of selling, he’s on a long-term contract and we want him to progress with us.
‘Our valuation of Kieran wasn’t met and it’s as simple as that.’
It is clear that the left-back is one player that the Emirates club really want as they have made two bids for him already. The club will really benefit from getting a player of the caliber of Tierney as he is in many ways the perfect modern full-back. He is extremely pacy, a good crosser and does not forget his defensive duties.
But given the fact that Celtic are not open to selling him for less than what they value him at, the onus is on the London club to ensure that they find a financial package that can get the deal over the line.
So, it seems that as per reports in Metro, Arsenal will not be coming back with a third bid and will instead turn their attention towards other targets. Tierney can also play as a center back and that is one factor that would have definitely appealed to those in charge of the Gunners.
His versatility is a big reason for why he is so highly rated. Tierney would be a welcome addition at the Emirates but if the club is unable to agree on a deal with Celtic, they are better off looking at other targets.
The Emirates club need to focus on the upcoming season as they look to get back into the Champions League after failing to do so. This has also had an impact on their finances which is hampering the deals such as the one for Tierney. There is still some time left in the transfer window and things can change.
