Martin Keown makes claim about Kieran Tierney’s Arsenal future amid talk of Celtic return

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Kieran Tierney could be in action for Arsenal on Tuesday night despite talk of a return to Celtic being on the cards.

The 27-year-old has only played once for Arsenal this season – a League Cup quarter-final win over Crystal Palace last month – after returning from a hamstring injury he suffered in the summer with Scotland at Euro 2024.

During that period, there have been suggestions that Celtic are pushing to sign Tierney, but in the meantime, he will look to help Mikel Arteta’s side beat Newcastle United in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final clash.

That’s if he starts because Arteta has kept him on the bench in recent weeks, including playing Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly ahead of him.

Tierney is out-of-contract in the summer and if you add the above into account, then it all further indicates that he will be heading for the Emirates exit door.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown shared his thoughts on the left-back, his future and his recent return to fitness.

Martin Keown expects Kieran Tierney to leave Arsenal amid Celtic talk

It is edging towards six years since Tierney left Celtic for Arsenal and, just like at Parkhead, he has proven to be a popular player with those associated with the London club.

Keown expressed that he is ‘pleased’ to see the Scotland international fit again after his ‘very difficult’ summer at the Euros, as he told talkSPORT (06/01/25 at 12:45 pm).

But he expects the player to head for the exit door despite Rodgers being critical of Celtic fans chanting Tierney’s name.

“He is one of three Arsenal defenders sitting on the bench, left-backs,” said Keown about Tierney after Rodgers’ comments. “Lewis-Skelly, Zinchenko and Tierney himself, so he is a long way from getting back into the team.

“But I am pleased to see him fit again. The manager hasn’t really used him too much. There is a League Cup game coming up (against Newcastle United) maybe he will get an opportunity there. One wishes him well, in terms of his fitness. He had a very difficult time in the summer, didn’t he? He pulled his hamstring and was out for six months, so let’s hope he is fit and well.

“He probably will be leaving the club.”

Tierney on his three Celtic heroes

One thing is for sure, Tierney is Celtic through and through, as you sense a return back to his boyhood club was always going to happen.

Perhaps, you could argue that it is happening sooner than he expected, but either way, if he is donning a Celtic shirt again, then those repping the Hoops won’t care.

Back in 2022, Tierney sat down with Chris Sutton and told TNT Sports who his three Celtic heroes are, as he also got to play alongside one of them.

“Who have you heard,” responded Tierney to Daryl Currie’s question on who his three Celtic heroes are. “I think you have heard Bobo Balde, the one Chris slaughtered me for. Who’s the next one? Yes, (Henrik Larsson) and Brownie (Scott Brown).

On why Balde as a hero: “Why not, though,” Tierney told Sutton. “He was like a cult hero, wasn’t he? If you were playing defence in school, you are like ‘I am Bobo Balde’ straightaway. Trying to play like him. I loved him. Me growing up, at that time, during such a successful team. You just looked up to everybody. They were all your heroes.”