Celtic are reportedly demanding £25 million for Arsenal target Kieran Tierney. The Gunners have so far fallen short of the Scottish champions’ valuation, so should they splash the cash to complete a deal?
According to claims from The Telegraph, Unai Emery’s side have made two offers, but neither of them have exceeded the £19 million mark.
The Hoops are standing firm and are reluctant to allow their academy graduate to leave the club, but should an offer worth the aforementioned £25 million come in, it seems they would be tempted to sell.
This begs the question: should Arsenal break the bank to complete a deal for Tierney?
As per The Telegraph, Emery has just £45 million to spend on signing players before sales are taken into account this summer. Therefore, landing the Scotland international would take more than half of the club’s budget away.
However, it is abundantly clear that Arsenal are in desperate need of signing a new left-back. Sead Kolasinac failed to impress throughout last season and to recruit a youthful, high-quality option on the flank should undoubtedly be on the club’s list of priorities.
Tierney has long been tipped for big things; both on the international stage and in European competition with Celtic, he has looked at home, and £25 million is by no means an unfair valuation.
Despite this, though, Arsenal have to work within their limitations this summer, and their first priority must be to sign a new centre-back. If they are to land a player who significantly improves their options at the heart of their defence, it would likely require a huge outlay, denting their transfer budget.
Therefore, while Tierney would certainly be a clever acquisition from the North London club, their priorities should lie elsewhere if they are unable to tie up a deal for a price lower than the £25 million.
