da 888： According to reports from The Sun, Arsenal and Manchester City are ‘keeping tabs’ on Celtic defender Kieran Tierney.
What’s the word?
da esoccer bet： After making his debut in April 2015, the left-back established himself as a first-team regular at the start of last season, going on to make 34 appearances across all competitions and earning a spate of awards in the process, namely the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, SFWA Young Player of the Year and a spot in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.
There’s perhaps no greater testament to his form than the calibre of club the 19-year-old was linked with ahead of the summer transfer window, most notably Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.
The Sun claim the Gunners and the Citizens are still keeping tabs on the one-cap Scotland international, having been particularly impressed by his performances in the Champions League. During Celtic’s recent 3-3 draw with Pep Guardiola’s side, he completed four tackles, one interceptions and ten clearances.
And the British tabloid even quote an ‘Etihad source’ as saying; “Pep was impressed by Tierney’s non-stop running and refusal to hide on the night. City have built close links with Celtic in recent years with Patrick Roberts currently on loan there this season. Scouts have been watching him all season and last. The longer Celtic stay in the Champions League, the better.”
Do Arsenal or Man City actually need a left-back?
Manchester City definitely do. Neither Aleksandar Kolarov nor Gael Clichy are exactly world-class and both are already the wrong side of 30. Kolarov got a right earful from Gary Neville during City’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend for ‘shying away’, whilst Clichy, although tactically expedient through his speed, has never been the most talented of footballers. It makes sense for Pep Guardiola to invest in a younger alternative that suits his style of play – and The Sun’s logic is that Tierney’s produced a promising performance right under his nose.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are pretty well-stocked at No.3. Nacho Monreal has been arguably the best left-back in the Premier League over the last few seasons and has produced sturdy form once again this year – although the Spaniard’s no spring chicken – whilst the more than capable Kieran Gibbs waits patiently in reserve. Gibbs leaving in search of first-team football and the 5 foot 10 Celtic starlet replacing him at the Emirates Stadium is a plausible scenario, but switching second-choice left-backs surely isn’t an immediate transfer priority for Arsene Wenger.