Bold gamble on academy ace could help Celtic cope without 5-assist star - opinion

According to the Scottish Sun, Arsenal are planning a £25 million bid for Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney.

The defender has been one of the Hoops’ standout performers this season, and it’s unsurprising that he’s attracting plenty of interest. Losing the 21-year-old would be a major blow for the Bhoys, but they will struggle to retain the Scot’s services should the Gunners come in with such a huge bid.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon should already be planning for life without Tierney at Celtic Park.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

On the chalkboard

Celtic will struggle to buy in a replacement for Tierney of the same quality. However, they may not have to sign anyone at all. 18-year-old Scotland under-19 international Daniel Church may be ready to make the step up to the first team.

The youngster signed a new contract with the club in September and is a highly-rated prospect. It would be a bold move, but bringing Church into the first team, to work alongside veteran full-back Emilio Izaguirre, could pay off. Extending Izaguirre’s current contract so that he is available to compete with Church next season would be a wise move.

A change in style

The loss of Tierney would likely also mean a change in the way Celtic play. The 12-cap Scotland international contributes a lot in an attacking sense. He has already racked up five league assists this season. The Bhoys may struggle to find someone who can replicate his output in the final third. 

Celtic may, then, revert to a more traditional system, with a more defensively-focused left-back. This would increase the pressure on the likes of Scott Sinclair to deliver from the wide areas but would make Tierney much easier to replace.

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