Celtic boss Neil Lennon has reportedly admitted that it would be difficult to keep hold of his star left-back Kieran Tierney in the summer transfer window if a big offer arrives from Arsenal.
The North London outfit finished in fifth place in the Premier League table and missed out on a Champions League spot. Unai Emery’s side had another chance of making it into the elite competition if they beat fierce local rivals Chelsea in the Europa League final but a 4-1 thrashing against the Blues meant that the Spanish manager has a big job on his hands for the summer and beyond.
However, Emery still needs transfers in the summer to bolster his squad and get Arsenal back to competing for major honors once again. One particular area that the 48-year-old needs to solidify is his backline and Emery needs a decent left-back to fill in for the aging Nacho Monreal. The Spanish defender is 33 years old and although Sead Kolasinac is a good option in attack, he does not provide a suitable cover while defending.
Arsenal has been keeping tabs on Celtic defender Kieran Tierney over the past few weeks as the Scotsman has impressed heavily at the Celtic Park over the past few years. The Gunners made a bid of £15 million for the 22-year-old defender but that offer was rejected by the Scottish champions as they are holding out on a deal worth £25 million for the left-back.
Kieran Tierney has been considered as replacement for the aging Nacho Monreal
The Premier League unit is quite confident of luring Tierney to the Emirates Stadium this summer and Celtic manager Neil Lennon has explained that it will be difficult to keep hold of their prized asset giving Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 as a comparison.
While speaking to reporters, the 48 year old Northern Irishman spoke about whether Tierney’s £25 million price tag would be enough to keep Arsenal at bay, “It’s huge money, but Kieran is a huge player, It’s important we have a valuation of the player, if it’s not met then we don’t have to sell. This is what we’re saying: we don’t want to sell, but sometimes players leave – even big players. Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United and they are the biggest club in the world, so these things happen. From a business point of view it may be substantial for the club, but from a footballing point it might be detrimental to us long-term”
