Kieran Tierney Arsenal January stance reveals itself as unnecessary gamble taken on Celtic signing

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Kieran Tierney is a soon-to-be Celtic player once again.

The defender agreed a sensational Parkhead return this week with manager Brendan Rodgers confirming it is a deal now done.

Rodgers hopes he will have Tierney this month to help with the remainder of the Scottish Premiership campaign as well as in the Champions League when squad registration opens again.

Arsenal, of course, are yet to sign off on Tierney’s permanent switch going ahead in the January window as it all hinges on a £30million deal involving Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Mikel Arteta does not want to lose two left-backs in the same window and is seemingly prepared to keep hold of KT until the end of the season when he can leave for a free to rejoin Celts.

• READ MORE: Arsenal fans all saying same thing as Brendan Rodgers confirms Kieran Tierney Celtic return

Arsenal took an unnecessary gamble with Kieran Tierney

And that will likely frustrate both Celtic as well as their fans who would ideally love Tierney to join the returning Jota on the left-hand side of the Hoops attack.

Another issue that will frustrate Rodgers and the board in Glasgow is the fact that Tierney was unnecessarily risked by Arteta and Arsenal last night before their meaningless Champions League tie with Girona.

The Scotland cap was named on the Gunners’ bench for the clash in Spain with Riccardo Calafiori playing from the start against La Liga’s outfit.

It is not an issue where Tierney’s game time is concerned as the defender was an unused sub in the game.

The player, 27, has only been handed five appearances this season in all competitions having previously been frozen out at the Emirates.

Tierney will join Celtic either in January or in summer

The fact that Arsenal were already guaranteed a spot in the top eight with five wins and a draw at the time from seven outings – and a vastly superior goal difference to any club who could consider knocking them off their perch – meant there was little to no reason to take a gamble on Tierney.

That is, obviously, unless the Premier League club have no intention of allowing the Celtic hero to leave this month.

It stands to reason that will be the case, and to be fair, he is their player.

But Celtic should be told as early as possible that is what to expect, especially given the fact that Alex Valle has already left the club to join Como on loan.