It is a well-known fact now that Arsenal are in the market to sign Celtic’s influential fullback Kieran Tierney. Reports from the Daily Record say that Celtic turned down Arsenal’s first offer of £15m. However, the Gunners aren’t going away anywhere as they are soon set to launch a £19m bid.
Lennon gives an update on Arsenal’s approach
Even though the bid hasn’t arrived, Lennon has insisted that it is still way short. The manager also made it clear that he has already told Arsenal how much they value Tierney. The former Hibernian manager said, ”Arsenal are aware of what we value the player at. He’s on a long-term contract, he’s an asset, and we don’t want to sell him. 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.”
The new Celtic boss also said that he is keeping Tierney in the loop in this whole transfer saga. He said, ”I’ve had a chat with him as it can be a difficult decision and bit unsettling. I’ve been there myself, so it’s important that we support him regardless of the outcome.”
How much should Celtic demand?
Lennon didn’t reveal how much he has quoted to Arsenal for Tierney, but from Celtic’s point of view, we hope that its atleast over £30m and somewhere between the £35-40m mark.
Celtic have him under contract until 2023, so they are in a strong position to negotiate. Moreover, they already have too many headaches to solve in this transfer period. Sending away their prime left back and looking for a new replacement would add more pressure on the transfer team.
Tierney struggled with a back problem and missed a good chunk of the last season. However, he still went on to play 40 games for Celtic in all competitions. The Scottish international wasn’t at his best as often it seemed like he was forcing himself to play through the injury. Nevertheless, he would be hoping for a stronger return next season.
This is not the first time that an English club have come calling for Tierney. Even last season Everton had made an approach, but they weren’t able to match Celtic’s valuation. The Toffees ended up signing Lucas Digne. Arsenal meanwhile are in desperate need for a left back, and Tierney is going to be a long term option for them as he is still 22.
The Scotsman is a complete modern day fullback, and we feel that he is good enough to thrive in the Premier League for a top club like Arsenal. However, with the kind of numbers which are doing the round in this transfer market, Celtic should hold Tierney for a big sum.
