Could Kieran Tierney make a sensational return to Celtic?

Celtic fans have been dreaming of a sensational return for academy graduate Kieran Tierney ever since the defender left for Arsenal in 2019. Now, with Brendan Rodgers back at the helm, could the Scottish giants make a move for their former star?

Tierney’s Arsenal Struggles

Tierney’s excellent form for Celtic earned him a much-anticipated £25million move to Arsenal in 2019. But while the left-back has continued to put in great performances, injuries have hampered his impact, leading Mikel Arteta to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko last summer.

The Ukraine international quickly usurped Tierney’s place in the starting XI, resulting in the Scot starting just six Premier League games. Rumours have persisted for months that the 26-year-old could leave the Emirates in pursuit of regular game time, with Newcastle very interested in his services.

Tierney’s Love for Celtic

Recent reports suggest the defender wants to return to his beloved Celtic, and is more motivated to do so following the re-appointment of Rodgers whom Tierney thrived under during the manager’s first spell from 2016 to 2019.

‘There’s been lots of players linked with here with me coming back. All I know is Kieran is like myself, we loved our time here,’ Rodgers said when asked about the transfer links.

‘When I spoke to him down the road in the Premier League, every time we met up all we talked about was Celtic. He’s a Celtic man but he’s at a fantastic club in Arsenal.’

Celtic’s Financial Limitations

Reports suggest that Celtic could offer to take Tierney on loan though it seems unlikely that Arsenal would agree to that, though they may accept a permanent offer given how much they’ve already spent this summer.

And though he found league starts hard to come by last season, he still featured 36 times across all competitions, showing Arteta still values him as a key member of his squad as they prepare to once again compete for the title.

Furthermore, the addition of Jurrien Timber suggests that Arteta is potentially moving towards using a back-three formation which could given Tierney another lease of life as a left-sided centre-back, a role he plays for his national team.

Conclusion

It remains to be seen whether or not Tierney will make a return to Celtic this summer. While Rodgers has refused to rule out a move, it seems unlikely given the financial limitations of the Scottish giants and Arsenal’s reluctance to let go of such an important player.

However, with Tierney’s love for his former club and Arsenal’s potential formation change, anything is possible. Only time will tell if this dream move will become a reality.