Arsenal are closing in on signing Celtic’s Keiran Tierney according to a report in Scotland’s The Sunday Post.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Kieran Tierney of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League Group B match between Celtic and Rosenborg at Celtic Park on September 20, 2018 in Glasgow, United Kingdom.  (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Kieran Tierney of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League Group B match between Celtic and Rosenborg at Celtic Park on September 20, 2018 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

In a short article, they write, “Arsenal look to be winning the fight to sign Kieran Tierney.

“The Gunners have been locked in a battle with Italian giants, Napoli, for the Celtic left-back, and have had two bids for the player turned down.

“But now they’re set to make a third attempt – a down payment of £20m, plus £5m of add-ons – to match Celtic’s valuation of the 22-year-old.”

190630 sunday post tierney
The Sunday Post, 30 June 2019

A few days ago, Neil Lennon confirmed that Arsenal’s first bid for Kieran Tierney was well short of the club’s valuation and they had yet to submit a second.

There had been talk that Arsenal had already submitted their second bid but Lennon insisted they’ve only had the one so far and it’s well short of their valuation.

“Arsenal are aware of what we value the player at,” Lennon said (via TheScottishSun). “He’s on a long-term contract, he’s an asset and we don’t want to sell him. There have been no more bids that I’m aware of.

“It’s going to have to take a lot more than what they’ve offered the first time around to give us a decision to make.”

Despite Lennon’s insistence that Celtic don’t want to sell, he then went on to suggest that Arsenal’s bid had the potential to unsettle Tierney and it had given him a difficult decision to make.

“I’ve had a chat with Kieran as it can be a difficult decision and bit unsettling,” Lennon continued. “I’ve been there myself so it’s important that we support him regardless of the outcome.”

Finally, on the player’s continuing recovery after surgery, Lennon said: “His fitness progress is slow. It will be a couple of weeks yet.”

A few days before those quotes, the BBC’s David Ornstein confirmed that Arsenal had submitted a £15m bid for Tierney which had been turned down. He added that the Gunners remained optimistic, and claimed on Wednesday that the two clubs are still in talks over the transfer.