Is a KT return to Celtic on the cards? If so is he worth the financial cost? Yes, if his fitness levels are satisfactory…
Kieran Tierney has been told he can leave Arsenal if any interested club meets the North London sides valuation which is believed to be around the £10 million mark. KT unsurprisingly has been linked with a move back to Celtic, but while it does have a realistic chance, is there any benefit to having KT back at the club? From a financial point of view would the deal make sense or could Celtic’s money be better spent elsewhere?
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A £10 million fee would be matching or breaking our transfer record, depending on how much we actually paid PSG for Odsonne Edouard. And while KT would have to accept a hefty pay cut, he would still be one of the highest earners at the club.
At 27 we would unlikely have any sell on value on KT which also goes against our transfer strategy. Not to mention his injury history which is also very questionable to say the least. Yes KT is a player with unquestionable ability who would only strengthen our side and give us a much needed injection of quality on the left hand side of the defence, but the transfer fee and salary outlay along with his fitness issues would make it a very risky move.
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Indeed to be fair to KT, he has talked about coming back to Celtic but only if he is 100% sure about his own fitness.
“I don’t regret it,” Kieran Tierney told The Athletic on leaving Celtic in 2019 to join Arsenal in a £25m transfer. “I still miss it but I knew life would never be the same. I was living my dream. Being a footballer is the dream but playing for Celtic was the ultimate.
“I left that to go and challenge myself in the Premier League and come up against the best to see how I’d cope. If I go back, I want to be feeling how I did there before.
“I’ll be a different player to what I was, as I’ve been away for years, but I wouldn’t want to go back if I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent in my body. I know the intensity and the demand to win so, if I go back, it will be when I’m still feeling good.”
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KT now falls into the bracket of last big contract on offer to himself?
Many complications would be potentially in play before a return of KT could become a more realistic target imo?
Couldn’t see ourselves really been interested in anything but a loan to buy deal?
But would Arsenal really be interested in allowing the value of KT drop even further?
Massive risk with the injury issues surrounding KT, especially if you are only looking at him available for only half a season?
Would be OK for ourselves, if them games were the bigger games like the CL and scum matches, but not much use to ourselves if he wasn’t available for such games imo?
Even 10M would be regarded as a big fee for the clubs with bigger budgets available to themselves, if they end up with a player spending more time in the stands then out on the pitch?
Not really surprised Arsenal have set a very reasonable fee for KT, but still possibly to rich for ourselves to be taking such a risk imo?
A lot could depend upon how KT plays during the euros with Scotland, where many potential suitors could be sitting back and taking the wait and see approach upon KT?
If we are only looking at a possible loan to buy deal, then this link to KT could well drag on for some time yet?
Personally think a 4 year deal for KT could be worth the risk involved, but just can’t see our board prepared to take such a risk imo?
Yet if we are being serious regarding gaining success at CL level, then a few risks have to be taken also imo?
Think Rodgers will manage the game time of Calmac moreso next season, so couldn’t the same be applied to KT also?
Especially with Taylor currently in place and Monty and frame looking to make a claim for the position in the making also?