Kieran Tierney is set to join Celtic this summer, but the Arsenal defender won’t be bringing that move forward to the January transfer window.
Mike McGrath reports for The Telegraph that Kieran Tierney has agreed a pre-contract with Celtic for a free transfer this summer, planning a four-year deal back with his old club once his Arsenal contract expires.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers had been hoping to then agree a loan for Tierney until that summer move, but Arsenal have reportedly made it clear that the left-back is staying for the rest of the season.
McGrath suggests this could open the door to Oleksandr Zinchenko leaving, with Borussia Dortmund interested in the former Manchester City man.
Previous reports had suggested that only one of Tierney and Zinchenko would be allowed to leave this month, and it seems Arsenal have now decided they can’t afford to let the Scotland international go yet.
There were a whole host of clubs interested in signing Tierney on a free transfer this summer, reportedly including Bayer Leverkusen, Sevilla, and Juventus.
In the Premier League, Everton also showed an interest. But Tierney is closing in on a return to his old club instead.
Arsenal did have an option to extend Tierney’s contract to 2026, but the deadline to activate that option has long passed.
The defender has made five appearances for Arsenal this season, returning from a serious hamstring injury in late November. He’s been a regular off the bench recently, appearing as a substitute in four of the last six games in all competitions.