According to the latest reports from Football London, Celtic and Arsenal have come to an agreement regarding the sale of Kieran Tierney. The Premier League giants had made two unsuccessful bids earlier, but now it seems like they have met the Scottish giant’s valuation for the left-back.
The 22-year-old has been the best fullback in the Premiership, and it is no surprise to see him move to a higher level. The sad part for the Hoops here is that there could be no farewell game for the academy product as he is currently injured and he might have already appeared for the final time in Celtic colours.
Problems for Celtic
Celtic should have been prepared for a situation like this as even last summer Tierney came close to moving to Everton. The Bhoys have gone on to sign Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo who has made appearances for Celtic in the Champions League qualifiers. The former Rapid Wien fullback has looked average at best (against easier opponents), and he might have to raise his game if he wants to be the first choice throughout the campaign.
However, he will continue to be the first choice if Celtic doesn’t go on to bring in a standout option. The club has been struggling to find a right-back for quite some time now, and they are set to face another battle now to replace Tierney.
Why should Celtic have kept him this season?
A player like Tierney was indeed destined for bigger things in the future, but he is currently just 22. The Hoops should have kept hold of him, especially in this window. Rangers look like real challengers this season under Gerrard, and if Celtic were serious about going for 10 in a row, then Tierney should have been kept at Parkhead.
He still has enough time on his hand to move to a bigger club in the future. Now it might seem like the player is running away from Celtic when Rangers are going to put up a real challenge in front of them. Moreover, he is a boyhood fan of the club and if the club made him understand their situation then maybe he might have agreed to stay on for another year.
In terms of the contract also, the Bhoys were supposed to be in a strong position to negotiate as Tierney had been tied down until 2023. However, the club is creating a problem for themselves, and it remains to be seen now whether they would invest the Tierney money to bolster their squad.
