Celtic are close to agreeing pre-contract terms for Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney.
The 27-year-old, who has entered the final six months of his Arsenal contract, has been in talks to return to Glasgow in the summer.
The Hoops are also expected to look into taking Tierney on loan until the end of the season, particularly if they qualify for the Champions League play-offs.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has told Tierney he could leave the north London club.
He missed the first three months of the season with a serious hamstring injury sustained while playing for Scotland at Euro 2024 and has made just two appearances for the Gunners in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup since returning to fitness.
When asked about the 27-year-old leaving this month, Arteta said: “All the players here just want to focus on making an impact on the team. If something happens, we’ll appreciate it.”
Kieran Tierney played 47 games for Scotland
Heaven in Italy Como are interested in Barcelona left-back Alex Valle, who is currently on loan at Celtic.
They understand that any move for Valle is dependent on Tierney joining Celtic this month.
Meanwhile, there is currently no agreement over a new contract with current Celtic left-back Greg Taylor, who is out of contract in the summer.
Rogers put a solid lipstick on Tierney’s move
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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers could potentially return to Arsenal for Kieran Tierney and his January transfer plans.
Speaking earlier this month, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers refused to be questioned on whether he was considering bringing Tierney back to Celtic, although he described the Scotland and Arsenal left-back as “one of us”.
“Yes, we’re always going to be linked with top players, especially players who are one of us,” Rodgers said.
“Kieran was an instrumental part of a really, really successful period when I was here and his talents then took him to another challenge in the Premier League.
“So yes, we will be linked with a lot of names, obviously Kieran, because of his situation. But for us, we will only tell you when we sign the player, when he signs.”
Why a Celtic return could tempt Tierney
Tierney made over 170 appearances for Celtic and won five Scottish Premiership titles during his time with the club.
Speaking The Currie Club Podcast with Darrell Currie in 2022, Tierney did not rule out returning to “Celtic”.
“I think when a player who loves the club leaves, there’s always that: ‘What if he comes back?’, and you can’t rule anything out,” he said.
“I’ll always love Celtic, I’ll always support Celtic, so you never know in football.
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