Celtic transfer advances for the Arsenal defender were blocked.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta’s plan for Kieran Tierney has been pinpointed by a Gunners hero, despite agreeing to join Celtic this summer.
Brendan Rodgers made no secret of the fact the club were trying to make a return for their academy graduate happen in the winter transfer window. After joining Arsenal in 2019 from Parkhead, Tierney has already agreed a pre-contract back at his ex-club but his current employers blocked an early return home.
That had Celtic scrambling for a deadline day replacement in Jeffrey Schlupp, on loan from Crystal Palace until the end of the campaign. Gunners hero Bacary Sagna likes Tierney and believes he’s spotted why Arteta wants the Scotland international in and around his squad a few months longer.
The former full-back reckons the Spaniard wants to keep together a core group of players who know the requirements of competing at Arsenal amid a pursuit of the Premier League title. Speaking to Great Offshore Sports Books, Sagna said: “He’s a good player. He was playing for Celtic from a young age.
He’s an experienced player, and of course you want to be able to have a competitive team, so keeping him in the squad makes sense. The fact that Arsenal didn’t let him go means they believe in him. Arsenal have players performing well at the minute in Tierney’s position, so it’s hard to take them out.
“Timber is one of them, Calafiori is one of them. They’re performing well, so the competition is there and it’s difficult for him to get some game time, but you never know, he could be relied upon at a crucial moment in the season. Anything can happen.
I hope Arsenal are going to have no injuries, but given the amount they have suffered this season, it makes sense to keep a player like Tierney in the squad. They need to anticipate a scenario where he may be required to play for one game or two games.
Personally, I like the player, I like his ability to defend, I like the way he attacks. He’s a good player and I think Mikel is trying to keep a group of players that are able to compete until the end of the season.
