Mikel Arteta is ready to cut ties with one of the longest-serving players in the team. Kieran Tierney will leave Arsenal no later than this summer window and make his return to Scotland to play for Celtic.
Kieran Tierney Set for Celtic Return
Celtic Commit to Captain’s Return
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Kieran Tierney will be returning to Arsenal imminently. If he does not depart North London in this winter window, the 27-year-old will move to Celtic after the end of this campaign.
A former captain of the club, Tierney will be a welcome sight at Parkhead when he eventually arrives. This story unfolded only one day after Celtic confirmed the return of another former player. Jota joined the Hoops for a second spell in Scotland following his struggles in Saudi Arabia and France.
Read More: ‘Deal Complete’: Celtic Make Shock Switch Losing ‘Crucial’ Star
This switch will signal the end of a relationship that has lasted over five years. Tierney arrived in North London at the start of the 2019/20 season along with Gabriel Martinelli. Only Bukayo Saka has been in the squad for longer than the Scotsman.
Arteta Axed Tierney From His Plans
There was a time when Tierney was among the best candidates to become club captain. But it has been evident that Arteta has moved on from the Scotland international.
The signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko in the summer of 2022 signalled his demise. The Ukrainian often moved into more central areas, adding a new dynamic to Arsenal’s attack. That tendency does not suit the skills of an old-school linear fullback, and Tierney has not regained Arteta’s faith ever since.
He then left the team for the whole of the previous campaign in a loan deal to Real Sociedad. And he had to wait until the start of 2025 to make his first Premier League appearance this season.
Since the start of this season, Riccardo Calafiori and academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly have also assumed seniority over Tierney. Finally, he feels it is time to move on to a new challenge with Celtic.
Even now, in his few minutes on the field, it is clear the fullback is still one of the best crossers of the ball in the squad. But his time has passed at the club as Arteta sees no desperate need for his qualities.”It is fair to say that we are still in the market. It’s only the 25th, so there are some days to go.”
“I think everyone is agreed that will definitely take place in the summer. If we can do it beforehand, then great,” said Brendan Rodgers regarding the deal.
