Arsenal manager Unai Emery has a tough task at hand at the helm of the Premier League club as they are currently going through a transitional phase which will see a host of players leaving the club while new ones replace them but he has to do that on a meagre budget as per earlier reports.
The defence has been one of the biggest issues that Arsenal have faced over the years, which could be of prime importance for Emery in the transfer window. While central defence will be an area Emery will look to bolster, the fullback region is also something which needs to be worked upon. One player that has caught the interest of the Gunners and Emery is Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney. A recent report in Daily Mail has claimed that the English club will have to pay as much as £20 million for the left-back.
The report further states that the Gunners could make a bid for the 22-year-old in the “coming days”.
Tierney has been impressive for Celtic over the last few seasons, becoming one of the most important players for the Scottish league champions since making his debut in 2015. In the 2018-19 season, Tierney made 40 appearances, scoring once and providing six assists for the Hoops.
The left-back has come through the ranks at Celtic since signing for them in 2005 as a seven-year-old. The Scotsman’s current contract expires in 2023, having signed his last deal in 2017.
Tierney has also played for Scotland, making 12 appearances since making his debut in 2016.
Would he be a good fit at Arsenal?
Tierney is a quick, mobile left-back who likes to bomb down the left flank and put in menacing crosses with his strong left foot. The Scottish international has drive and energy to go up and down the left side, while also the tenacity to press and dispossess the opposition when they have the ball.
The Celtic player would be a great fit in Unai Emery’s style of play, either as part of the 5-man defence or the 4-man defence, as he is capable of playing as a left-back or left wing-back, while he has also played as a centre back on occasions.
Reports are suggesting that Nacho Monreal, who was played mostly as a centre back and the second option at left back after Sead Kolasinac, is set to leave the club. And while Tierney, if signed, will mostly play on the left flank, he can be deemed as the long-term replacement for Monreal.
He will bring in zeal and enthusiasm which has been missing in Arsenal’s play, of late, and his consistent displays over a number of seasons also bode well for the Gunners.