Fabrizio Romano: “Kieran Tierney to Real Sociedad, here we go”

Fabrizio Romano this morning provided a ‘here we go’ update on Kieran Tierney’s widely anticipated departure from Arsenal with a confirmation that the former Celtic left back will be joining Real Sociedad on a season long loan, with the La Liga side covering the player’s salary, believed to be around £100k per week, being covered by the Spanish club.

However there is apparently no obligation to buy included in the deal, something that earlier reports stated that Arsenal were looking for. Arsenal however are receiving a loan fee for the player and no longer need to pay his wages.

Romano reports: “Kieran Tierney to Real Sociedad, here we go! Verbal agreement in place with Arsenal on loan deal — no buy option clause. Tierney has accepted, medical being scheduled after clubs exchange all documents. Salary will be covered until June.”

That brings to a close the Celtic interest in bringing Tierney back on loan. The wages were always way too high so the player would have to have accepted a lower sum which would still have seen him joining or exceeding Callum McGregor as the club’s top earner.

Kieran Tierney, like his great pal Paddy Roberts, is a former player who continually gets linked to a return to Celtic, but it never happens. We can file this one until next June when the rumours may well begin again.

Best of luck to KT at Real Sociedad, who like Celtic are in the Champions League this season. He’ll be glad to get away from Mikel Arteta who clearly doesn’t see him as part of his plans for Arsenal.

Meanwhile Brendan Rodgers will still be looking at a new left back, a goalkeeper, a winger, a central defender or maybe two and possibly even a striker if he is looking at having a stronger squad coming out of the window than the one that finished last season as treble winners.