‘Top, top player’ – Marvin Bartley states what is ‘strange’ about Celtic’s transfer capture

Add as preferred source on Google

Celtic have got the ball rolling after ending the season in a disappointing fashion.

Brendan Rodgers’ side missed the chance to win the Treble last month after Celtic were beaten by Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final.

But those inside Celtic Park are hoping to prove, when the summer transfer window reopens, that nobody is going to sit back.

Even though Celtic are so dominant on the domestic scene, they are already making moves, and the first man is through the door ahead of the 2025/26 season.

It’s a name and player everybody was expecting, as Kieran Tierney is back home after six years away following his £25 million transfer to Arsenal in 2019.

• READ MORE: Celtic told why Arsenal fans are ‘apologising’ to Kieran Tierney after his return to Glasgow

Celtic told what is ‘strange’ about their signing of Kieran Tierney

The 28-year-old returns as a free agent and pens a long-term contract, which states that he could end his career in Glasgow.

Marvin Bartley labelled Tierney a ‘top, top player’ and noted how delighted the supporters are with his return, as he told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard.

But Bartley explained that what is ‘strange’ about the Tierney signing is how he ended up playing ‘more’ games when his Arsenal exit was confirmed just after the turn of the year than the time before that.

“Celtic fans will be absolutely delighted with that,” said Bartley. “It’s strange from Kieran Tierney, he actually played more after it was confirmed that he was leaving the club for Arsenal than he did six months prior to that.

“But listen, a top, top player is coming back. They sold him for £20-odd million. They have got him back on a free transfer. He is a Celtic boy through and through. Playing for his boyhood club. The fans love him, and he has a five-year contract, so I am sure he will go from strength to strength.

“100%, he has a lot to give. I think he just turned 28 at the start of this month. Kieran Tierney, by all accounts, is a top, top professional. He has just been extremely unlucky with injuries.

Tierney’s game time for Arsenal this season

Tierney got injured at Euro 2024, and then returned to action in the winter, but he wasn’t regularly used by Mikel Arteta.

The great thing is that he remained injury-free, so he hasn’t had many more setbacks, which, from a psychological standpoint, is positive for all.

Now it’s a case of doing it week in and week out, when he is toiling away for 90+ minutes. If he can do that, then nobody in Scotland is better.