Kieran Tierney, who is set to join Celtic, reportedly played a part in the decision to stay at Arsenal until his anticipated return to the Scottish champions.
Brendan Rodgers confirmed that the defender has agreed to a pre-contract deal to return to Parkhead, with his Arsenal contract expiring in the summer.
However, a loan move to bring him back to Celtic earlier in January fell through, as Jeffrey Schlupp was signed on deadline day to provide cover for Greg Taylor at left-back.
Rodgers surprisingly claimed that a move for the 27-year-old was never on the table this winter, leaving Tierney to compete for a starting spot at Arsenal.
Tierney has found himself behind emerging talent Myles Lewis-Skelly in the pecking order, with Oleksandr Zinchenko also vying for minutes as the Arsenal academy product battles Riccardo Calafiori for a place in the lineup. According to The Athletic, Tierney was content to remain in North London until the summer.
It is reported that Celtic were eager to accelerate Tierney’s free transfer to January. However, both Arsenal and Tierney “decided together” that he would stay with Mikel Arteta’s squad until the end of the season.
So far this campaign, the left-back has made just one start in five appearances for the club, and his playing time could become even more limited in his final months as a Gunner.
Arsenal are currently in Dubai following their Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Newcastle United, enjoying a rare 10-day break. Arteta is reportedly assessing Ben White, who has been sidelined since November due to injury.
Reports from England suggest that the 27-year-old White could be included in the squad for next weekend’s clash with Leicester City, as Arteta aims to fast-track his return to the first team. This development could push Tierney further down the pecking order, significantly reducing his game time ahead of his move to Celtic.
This comes after Arteta previously stated that no player who is not fully committed to Arsenal would be given minutes. Speaking about Tierney last month, Arteta said: “I wouldn’t play a player that is thinking about leaving or is not committed to us, so he’s fully committed.
“He’s enjoying playing after a long period again with a really tough injury, so live the moment. He’s a big part of the squad now. He deserves to be in the squad and played really well after such a long time, so that’s the only thing I can say.”
