Celtic legend Chris Sutton has weighed in on the speculation surrounding a potential return for Kieran Tierney to Parkhead.
Writing in his column for the Daily Record, Sutton acknowledged the excitement among fans but pointed out that there are significant challenges, particularly on the financial front, that could hinder the move.
Sutton praised Tierney as a top-quality player and highlighted the potential boost his return could bring to the club:
“There’s already talk of Kieran Tierney coming back. I can understand the excitement among fans. It would be a real feather in the cap if they can persuade him to return.
“Tierney is a quality player – if he’s fully fit. That’s the big question after the last few years. I also have other reasons to be sceptical over the move. Finances for one. I can’t say I know him that well but it doesn’t seem that he is overly money orientated.
“That could be good news for Celtic. But there is absolutely no doubt there will be interest in him from clubs in England and abroad – and figures that can blow Celtic out of the water.
“It might become a heart over head job at that point for the player but if you were advising him, would another two or three year deal on big money somewhere not make more sense than taking a substantial pay cut now? Only he can answer that one.”
While Sutton stopped short of outright dismissing the move, he clearly sees it as an uphill battle for Celtic. A return for Tierney would likely depend on his willingness to sacrifice a significant portion of his salary in favour of the emotional pull of Parkhead and the chance to be a key player in Brendan Rodgers’ plans.
It’s also a gamble for Celtic, who will need to fork out significant wages to facilitate a return. There’s no guarantee that the player would be able to play the majority of games in green and white, with his recent injury history.
For Celtic, landing Tierney would be a massive statement of intent in the January transfer window. However, as Sutton outlines, the competition and financial hurdles make it far from a straightforward deal.
