Injury concerns for Kieran Tierney and a potential fix at Celtic

Some Celtic bloggers believe Kieran Tierney’s injury against Switzerland on Wednesday night is a reason why Brendan Rodgers should not contemplate bringing him back.

Jack Hendry has provided more optimistic news, implying that the injury may not be as severe as previously assumed.

There is no doubt that KT is prone to injuries, which must be a source of great frustration for him. He went from being regarded the next Arsenal captain to being surplus to requirements, and his current injury while playing for Scotland at Euro 2024 will reaffirm Mikel Arteta’s belief that Tierney has no place in his squad as the former Celtic full-back they paid £25 million for.

Nobody knows Brendan Rodgers’ thoughts on KT’s potential return to Celtic, but the transfer money will be a major consideration. For example, if Arsenal announced that they wanted to reclaim their original transfer cost paid to Celtic, Celtic would have NO CHANCE of becoming interested. The same applies for £20 million, £15 million, and even the bargain £10 million, which looks to be the figure ahead of the latest Teirney injury blow.

Celtic could potentially trade for £10 million, but such an investment – in a player who is unlikely to have much sell-on value in the future – would be a huge financial risk for Brendan Rodgers to take for a player who is just as likely to be on the treatment table as playing down the left side for his beloved team.

So, even if there was interest prior to the match earlier this week, Celtic will have reason to reconsider the appropriateness of such a move. Perhaps Celtic, ever cautious, will decide to wait and watch how things play out and whether KT emerges uninjured from the competition.

So, where does that leave KT’s potential move to Celtic or elsewhere, and what does the recent injury signify for Arsenal?

Arteta may elect to keep KT as a squad player, allowing the former Celt to continue earning massive Premier League wages for the next two seasons. If it’s all about the money, KT should stay put, perhaps take out another loan to Real Sociedad, and strive for the next World Cup with Scotland, which will be staged in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

The £10 million transfer cost that Arsenal were apparently looking for may have lowered after taking into account Tierney’s current injury and the influence it may have on potential buyers. That may pave the way for a return to Celtic with a deal for roughly £5 million plus a payment to Tierney in place of the large sums he would miss out on if he stayed at Arsenal, which he would not want. That type of deal would put an end to the situation for Arsenal while saving them a significant amount of money on pay for a player who is not in their manager’s plans.

It would provide Celtic squad cover at left back, where there is now none. With Greg Taylor and Kieran Tierney at the club, there would be opportunities for players to be rotated or utilised sparingly throughout the season. KT is a player you wouldn’t anticipate to play 50 or more games per season, despite his young age of 27. But Celtic could easily hope to get 30 games out of him, and Brendan should be able to handle that.

Another reason for the £10 million price drop is the reduction in estimated playing time. Celtic should not spend £10 million for KT, but the management may find value in taking the risk at a price of £5-6 million.

Essentially, that is a more realistic asking price for the player right now. And that may be a risk worth taking for Brendan Rodgers.

In other news, Oh Celtic transfer exit update: Genk’make improved bid’ for Hoops striker.