Celtic’s Kieran Tierney Would Do Well By Joining Arsenal
With apparent doubts over the futures of Nacho Monreal and England player Kieran Gibbs, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reportedly been watching another Kieran Tierney on a regular basis.
Tierney has been attracting many plaudits in recent times, starring for Celtic in big domestic games against rivals Rangers and others as well playing against Europe’s elite in the Champions League group stages. Brendan Rodgers has used him more often than Emilio Izaguirre in the league this season and his time as Scotland’s first choice left-back ahead of Andy Robertson would surely be approaching soon.
Arsenal, of course have a fairly rich history when it comes to marauding left-backs, with Geo van Bronckhorst converted into a left-back before his move to Barcelona, Gael Clichy – a fan favourite before moving to Man City and, dare we mention Ashley Cole making his name in the Arsenal shirt? With this in mind, Tierney is very much an ‘Arsenal type’ of player and one who looks better placed than their current players to compliment their attacking, passing style from the left.
His imminent ascension to a Scotland starting birth will give him crucial international experience a few times per season, aiding the experience he has already gained by playing in front of big crowds at Celtic Park. There’s no doubt the English Premier League will be a much tougher proposition for the young man and that he will need to improve and strengthen up to cope with. However, it would be safe to imagine that the scouting would be pretty solid and he’d be a positive signing for under-fire Arsene Wenger.
Despite introducing a different preparation and diet, as well as winning titles and playing beautiful football, the positive impact of overseas players such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and the like has worn a little thin with some Arsenal fans now. Adding another touch of ‘Britishness’ to the Arsenal squad would surely not be a bad thing, especially if they were to lose Kieran Gibbs as part of this process.
At just 19, there is a lot more to come from the boy born on the Isle of Man. So, would he be brought in simply as cover for a first-choice left-back? Wenger’s signing of 20-year-old Cohen Bramall from non-league side Hednesford in January would suggest not, as you would imagine he would be the one to cover that position and be given his chance in EFL cup games and the like.
So, if Kieran Tierney is offered the chance to go to the Emirates Stadium this summer, he should definitely grab it with both hands.