Celtic’s homegrown star has left the club to join Arsenal.
The summer-long transfer saga involving Kieran Tierney, Celtic and Arsenal came to an end at last on Thursday.
The clubs announced today that the Scotland international has said goodbye to his boyhood team to pursue a career in the English Premier League.
There’s no getting around it – it’s a sore one for many Celtic fans. Tierney had become something of a cultural icon at the club since making his debut back in April 2015 as a fresh faced teenager.
Building up a mutual rapport with supporters, there were some who thought he may be destined to be a hallowed ‘one club man’ at Celtic Park, leading the club to trophy success for years to come.
The realities of it all became apparent this summer though. Once it emerged that the Gunners and the Hoops weren’t far apart in their valuations, it began to seem inevitable he’d make his move.
Who pushed for the move from which direction is almost immaterial. A blame game isn’t needed. The truth is that it’s a move that suits both the player and Celtic.
Sure, losing his presence on the left flank is a blow to Neil Lennon’s squad, but they coped well enough in the second half of last season which he missed much of due to injury.
So while some will understandably be sad about his departure, there are a few positives and silver linings to consider.
Celtic have plenty of time to find a replacement
With the end of the English and Scottish transfer windows now weeks apart, Celtic have not been backed into a corner here. It was a late deal from Arsenal’s perspective but the Hoops have plenty of time get their act together.
In previous years, the club may have been left with no time at all to secure a replacement. The exit of Moussa Dembele last summer is a perfect example.
Given the nature of Arsenal’s high profile pursuit of Tierney in recent months, it’s natural for fans to expect that the Scottish champions have already been scouring their scouting markets for a suitable replacement for the left-back.
Boli Bolingoli has looked unconvincing in the initial stages of his Hoops career and while there’s plenty of time for him to come good, he will need competition.
Celtic have the breathing room to provide that.
Tierney’s sale can usher in a new era of transfer valuations at Celtic
For a while now there’s been a feeling that Celtic have allowed their star players leave the club on the cheap, certainly by the standards of other markets.
Virgil van Dijk for example left for a reported £13m (BBC) and ended up becoming the most expensive defender in the world when he joined Liverpool. Moussa Dembele too looks destined to one day make a massive money move to one of Europe’s richest clubs.
Obviously nobody is going to be spending £75m on players from the Scottish Premiership any time soon, but the sale of Tierney can help Celtic find sounder footing when selling players.
Tierney’s sale is the new benchmark at Celtic Park and the club are unlikely to let any of their biggest players leave for less now.
It’s potentially a new era, and a new higher tier, when it comes to buying and selling players. That’s to the long-term benefit of the club and, importantly for supporters, the team on the park.
There’s a £25m excuse-free fund with which to reinvest
Neil Lennon and the wider recruitment team at Celtic will want their hands on some of that £25m they just received. The club confirmed the fee to the London Stock Exchange earlier today.
Fans will be expectant that a significant portion of it is now used to polish up a successful side which needs a few fresh ideas and greater depth in key positions.
As noted, left-back is a priority but another central defender and right-back is also needed. With potential quality issues when it comes to depth on the wings too, they have a lot of work to do.
Lennon himself has expressed to the media that he hopes some of the money is reinvested directly into the team (The Scottish Sun). High profile pundits like Chris Sutton have also called on the Celtic board to spend money in August.
There are no excuses not to now, providing the scouting team have identified the right players.
The sale of Tierney could be seen as a risk when it comes to their hopes of securing a ninth title in a row, but they have the power now to ensure it becomes the catalyst.
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