Celtic supporters hoping to see Kieran Tierney back at Parkhead this month will have to be patient, as Arsenal have made it clear they intend to keep the defender until the end of the season, unless something fundamentally changes in the next 72 hours.

Mike McGrath of The Telegraph has reported that Tierney will remain in Mikel Arteta’s squad for the final six months of his contract as Arsenal push for the Premier League title and continue their Champions League campaign. The Scotland international has already agreed a pre-contract deal with Celtic and will return in the summer on a four-year contract, but Brendan Rodgers had been keen to bring him in on loan before the move.

Celtsarehere believes the sticking point is Tierney’s wages. Arsenal were open to allowing him to leave this month but wanted him to forgo the remainder of his contract, something the player was unwilling to do. Instead, he will stay in North London until the end of the campaign. Usually, in these scenarios, clubs and players can meet in the middle, but there appears to be no room for negotiations.

Arsenal see value in keeping Kieran as cover for their defence. While he’s unlikely to get much game time at all, they’d rather he be there in case they need him.

The 26-year-old had opportunities to remain in the Premier League or move abroad but turned them down in favour of a return to Celtic. Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, Sevilla in Spain and Serie A giants Juventus had all been keen to sign him without a fee in the summer. Everton were also interested, with David Moyes looking to strengthen his left-back options.

However, Tierney had his heart set on a return to Celtic, where he came through the academy and won four league titles and two Scottish Cups before his £25 million move to Arsenal in 2019.

While his return is now a matter of when, not if, Celtic fans will have to wait until next season to see Tierney back in the Hoops.