Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has claimed he wants to strengthen his squad amid links with a transfer return for Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney.
It comes amid uncertainty over the future of the Scotland international, who has had a tough time of it at the Emirates Stadium in recent years.
Tierney made his first start for Arsenal in over 500 days when he featured in the EFL Cup against Crystal Palace.
However, even with an impressive performance, there are some doubts over his place with the Gunners in the future.
Ahead of the January transfer window, it’s been decided that Arsenal won’t extend Tierney’s contract at the club.
As a result, the defender could leave on a free next summer, while Tierney could leave in January if a deal can be agreed.
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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers on Kieran Tierney transfer
With his future seemingly lying away from Arsenal, there have been links surrounding Tierney and a transfer return to Celtic.
The 27-year-old was a key player for his boyhood club before he made the move to join the Gunners.
With his situation pointing towards a potential move back to Celtic Park, the current manager Brendan Rodgers was asked about a transfer.
He told Sky Sports: “Well, Kieran is someone I know really well but there’s lots of players who have been linked with coming to Celtic.
“We will never speak about a player, especially a young player that’s at another club. But we’ve got work to do, we know that.
“We want to improve the squad further in a number of key areas. But until that happens, the players here have been working so well. We’ll just continue to work with them and see what happens in January.”
It remains to be seen whether a deal is possible for Tierney to join Celtic once again, though Rodgers has hardly gone far to deny it.
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Kieran Tierney’s stats at Celtic
Before becoming a fan favourite at Arsenal, Tierney was also adored by fans at Celtic for his attacking prowess on the flank.
He won 11 trophies in his time at Celtic Park, which included league titles and both domestic cup competitions.
In 170 appearances, Tierney sealed himself as a hero for the club before putting in similar performances for the Gunners.
| Appearances | 170 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Assists | 37 |
Whether he could stay injury-free and put in those same performances on a return to the club is unclear, but it’s a move many would want to see happen.
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