Celtic could be set to spend big this summer and make a move to bring a former fan favourite back to Glasgow, according to a report this week.
Celtic struggling since winter break
It is no secret that Brendan Rodgers’ side are struggling by their usual lofty standards. The Hoops passed up a golden opportunity to retake the lead of the Scottish Premiership over the weekend after league leaders Rangers lost, falling themselves to a 2-0 defeat against Hearts.
It means that with four games left before the split they sit two points behind their city rivals, and the title could be decided by the final OId Firm Derbies of the season.
Such a scenario leaves Rodgers facing increased scrutiny, especially given his contrast to Ange Postecoglou’s reign at the club previously. With accusations that the board have let the ex-Liverpool boss down on the transfer front, it all points to an unhappy camp at Celtic.
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The Hoops midfielder had a poor afternoon at Tynecastle as he let Brendan Rodgers down.
That could of course change before the season is out, but given Celtic’s usual dominance of the Scottish top flight, even a league win may feel somewhat underwhelming.
Summer changes as Hoops eye huge move
With just four games left of the first phase in Scotland, attention has already turned to the summer transfer window, and it could well be a big one at Celtic Park both in and out.
As per a report from teamtalk, Celtic are among the clubs with an interest in Scottish fullback Kieran Tierney, who has fallen out of favour at Arsenal and is likely to be sold this summer. It is claimed that ‘several top clubs are ready to come forward with bids for him’, with the Scottish champions keen to bring back their former star, who they sold to Arsenal in 2019 for £25m.
Currently on loan at Real Sociedad, the Spanish side are keen to keep him for another loan, but Arsenal prefer a sale. It is added that they ‘will consider offers’ around the £26m mark, but with just two years left to run on his deal it is unlikely that such a price would be forthcoming and they may have to settle for less than they forked out for him five years ago.
However, any fee even close to that would represent a record fee for Celtic, with their current biggest import still just the £9m that they shelled out for Odsonne Edouard back in 2018. With no player having commanded a fee from the Scottish side anything like that which Tierney’s signature would reportedly require, any deal seems very unlikely to happen on a permanent basis.
Celtic’s record signings | |||
Player | Year arrived | Arrived from | Fee |
Odsonne Edouard | 2018 | PSG | £9m |
Christopher Jullien | 2019 | Toulouse | £7m |
Jota | 2022 | Benfica | £6.5m |
John Hartson | 2001 | Coventry City | £6m |
Cameron Carter-Vickers | 2022 | Tottenham Hotspur | £6m |
They face reported competition for his signature from his former Arsenal boss Unai Emery at Aston Villa, as well as a series of Italian clubs, but Tierney could welcome a return north of the border should the opportunity present itself.
