Celtic are hoping to announce the return of Kieran Tierney next week – with a view to fast-tracking his emotional homecoming from Arsenal.
The Hoops have long been linked with a move for the left-back who is set to leave the Gunners in the summer at the earliest after they decided not to extend his contract beyond 2025. That news lit fire under speculation about a move back to Celtic, and it’s since grown legs and now looks a matter of when, rather than if.
This morning it emerged that Celtic had opened talks with Arsenal with a view to bringing him home now, rather than in the summer. But the key element of that deal will be having a pre-contract agreement in place with Tierney, ensuring he WILL be a Celtic player again and strengthening their negotiating position over a January deal. Now, the Scottish Sun report that they hope to agree terms with the player next week – meaning the announcement fans have been waiting for could come as early as Monday.
Brendan Rodgers would then hope to strike a quickfire deal with Arsenal to part ways with him now. And that means the earliest possible date he could pull on green and white again could be at home to Dundee United on January 8. That’s the best case scenario however and it may be later in the window, or possibly even the summer, before he officially returns to the club.