Celtic may be on their own in the race to sign Kieran Tierney now, with The Daily Record reporting that Newcastle are no longer so keen to sign the defender.
What is Kieran Tierney worth?
The 26-year-old originally moved to Arsenal back in 2019 for £25m and went on to play 15 times in the Premier League for them in that initial campaign. A season later though, that total had increased to 27 as the Scotland man became an increasingly important member of the first-team side.
However, despite establishing himself as their first-choice left-back during this period, his gametime has since tailed off for the Gunners. In 2022/23 for example, he still played over 20 times for the club in the top flight, but only six of those were actual starts. It means that his market value now – as suggested by Transfermarkt – could be around 25 million Euros (or £21.5m). That's less than their original outlay on the defender.
His most productive spell remains his time with Celtic. He spent five seasons with the Scottish Premiership outfit, after the side gave him his SPL debut as a 17-year-old. He was turned to continually as a teen despite his youth and went on to play in over 100 league games for the Hoops during his time there.
With the defender potentially out of the plans in north London now and down the pecking order for Mikel Arteta, there has been interest in signing the 26-year-old this summer. Newcastle have been one of the clubs tracking Tierney, with the Toon contemplating a bid for his services this summer. The Hoops though have also been linked with a sensational swoop to bring the Arsenal man back to Scotland, although they too have yet to submit an official offer.
Are Celtic signing Kieran Tierney?
Now, according to a report from The Daily Record, the SPL outfit could have been handed a big boost in their efforts to land Tierney. That's because it seems Newcastle's interest in adding the defender to their ranks has cooled, with the report also referring to Alex Crook, who states that the interest "seems to have gone quiet".
It adds that with Harvey Barnes now joining the Toon, there is less intent from the side in adding Tierney too due to financial knock-on effects. It means that Celtic may now be the only team in the race to sign him – and the pathway has therefore opened up for the Hoops to try and get a deal done.
If they did sign him, it would be another shrewd move from Celtic. Arsenal defender Oli Zinchenko, who has played and competed with the left-back for the Gunners, called the Scot "amazing" and admitted he had watched the 26-year-old in action before they were even teammates.
Celtic then would certainly be upgrading their defensive ranks if they could get a deal done – and it would likely benefit the player, as it could also mean more playing time and a second chance at a place he was appreciated and thrived.
