Arsenal
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Celtic captain Callum McGregor has addressed rumors linking Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney with a sensational return to the Scottish champions, describing his former teammate as a “quality player” and a potential asset for the squad.
Tierney, who departed Celtic for Arsenal in a £25 million move in 2019, has struggled with injuries during his time in north London. The Scottish international’s setbacks have seen him fall down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta. Following a season-long loan at Real Sociedad, Tierney’s future remains uncertain, with Arsenal reportedly opting not to extend his contract, which expires next summer.
Celtic have emerged as the leading candidates to secure the 26-year-old’s signature in January. A move back to his boyhood club would reunite Tierney with McGregor, who succeeded Scott Brown as Celtic skipper in 2021.
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Speaking about the speculation, McGregor said: “He’s a quality player. I’ve been in war with him for a number of years now! Kieran’s a good guy. We’ll see what happens. I’ve not spoken to him yet, but I’ve seen all the stuff that’s been written. I don’t know too much about it. We’re generally the last ones to know. When someone appears in the building, we’ll go and meet them.”
Kieran Tierney
Kieran Tierney (Image credit: Getty Images)
McGregor also expressed his openness to new arrivals during the January transfer window, emphasising the importance of competition within the squad.
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“When you’re at a big club, the demands are so high that you always have to be at the maximum level and push yourself, the squad, everybody,” McGregor said. “Come January, we might have a few new faces in, and that will push the group further and make the squad stronger.
“In every window, we look to strengthen. The club will always try to do the best deals they can. Naturally, at a big club, there’s always competition for places. It just remains to be seen what happens, but the guys who do come in, we’ll get them up to speed as quickly as possible.”
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