Kieran Tierney has been linked with a surprise move to Fenerbahçe under José Mourinho, having made his Celtic European first-team debut against the same opposition at Celtic Park in October 2015 in a 2-2 draw.
Tierney appears set to return to the Hoops in the summer, with his current Arsenal deal set to expire. He has yet to sign a pre-contract with Celtic, and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has decided not to trigger a clause in his current deal that would see another year added to his contract, opening the door for a sensational return to Glasgow.
Sporx in Turkey reports that Tierney was offered to Mourinho through his agent; however, Sergio Reguilón looks set to reunite with the Portuguese boss at Fenerbahçe.
The report also discussed that, with Tierney having played in England since joining Arsenal in the summer of 2019, Mourinho has become aware of the Scotland defender’s versatility, including his ability to play at centre-back.
However, his injury record in recent years has meant that the Turkish giants have instead decided against a move.
It’s a sign that Tierney is still highly regarded across Europe, although the main takeaway is that if he were to join Celtic, the Hoops would need to manage his minutes to avoid further time spent out through injury.
This makes the need to have a capable backup alongside Tierney just as important, with current left-back Greg Taylor yet to sign a new deal at the club and Alex Valle reported to move to Como on loan. If Tierney were to sign a loan deal this month, it means that Celtic’s left-back position is one that will continue to come under the microscope even if Tierney signs.
The perfect scenario looks to be a new deal for Taylor and Tierney signing a pre-contract and joining the Hoops on loan until his current Arsenal deal expires.
With Taylor’s wages likely to be higher than those of the average Celtic rotation option, it may be what is seen as the current stumbling block. However, given Tierney’s poor injury history, Taylor cannot be seen as a backup and instead as a player who will be given more game time than most.
