Kieran Tierney of Arsenal during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney played against Crystal Palace on Wednesday and may move to Celtic next year
Celtic are expected to push for the signing of Kieran Tierney from Arsenal and are ready to battle Premier League clubs for the left-back’s signature.
Tierney is due to leave Arsenal in 2025, either in the January window or more likely at the end of this season when his contract in north London expires.
Arsenal had an option to extend Tierney’s deal by another 12 months but have chosen not to do so after he fell out of Mikel Arteta’s plans in recent campaigns.
Telegraph Sport understands that Celtic are keen to bring Tierney back home to his boyhood club, where he progressed through the youth ranks and went on to make 170 appearances before joining Arsenal in 2019.
His high wages at Arsenal could make a January switch difficult for Celtic, with a move in the summer regarded by sources as a more likely outcome at this stage.
Tierney, who spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad, made his first appearance of the season on Wednesday night and impressed in Arsenal’s exciting League Cup victory over Crystal Palace.
The Scotland international has been unavailable for much of his campaign because of a serious hamstring injury he suffered while playing for his country at the European Championships.
He was substituted after 69 minutes against Palace after suffering with cramp on his first competitive appearance since June. A fan favourite, he received a standing ovation from the home crowd and later said it was “amazing” to be back at the Emirates Stadium.
The 27-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal in recent seasons following the arrivals of a series of alternative full-backs, including Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori.
He could yet play a crucial role in his final campaign in north London, however, with Zinchenko, Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu all currently struggling with fitness issues.
“That’s the beauty of football: sometimes it goes in circles,” Arteta said of Tierney on Wednesday. “He had to leave and have a loan spell, after a long, long injury as well and day-by-day has earned the right to get some trust from us again that he could help us, that he could be very important for the team, he could impact the team and tonight, he’s certainly done that.”
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