Kieran Tierney is now on the verge of agreeing a pre-contract to return to Celtic this summer, according to a report.
Mike McGrath reports for The Telegraph that Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is on the verge of agreeing a pre-contract with Celtic, turning down opportunities to pursue a move abroad or to stay in th Premier League.
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.
McGrath concludes that it remains to be seen what Arsenal’s plans are for Tierney for the remainder of the current campaign.
There’s been some talk that once Celtic agree terms with Tierney, they could then make an effort to bring the deal forward to the January transfer window.
In some ways, that would suit everyone. Celtic would land their man sooner, Tierney would play more minutes, and Arsenal would presumably get a fee and save some money on wages.
But Tierney’s recent performances have been positive, and Arsenal have real trouble keeping their left-back options fit. Mikel Arteta may prefer to keep the Scottish international around until the end of the campaign.
Arsenal did have an option to extend Tierney’s contract to 2026, but the deadline to activate that option has long passed. He appears set to leave, whether that’s now or in the summer.