NafisaArsenal have bid goodbye to Kieran Tierney, who has finalized a permanent transfer back to Celtic. He signed a five-year contract with the Scottish champions.
Celtic announced the transfer on their official website, with Tierney returning to his childhood club after spending five unpredictable years in north London.
Arsenal paid £25 million to acquire the Scotland international from Celtic back in 2019. At the time, Unai Emery was leading the Gunners and viewed Tierney as a vital addition to his lineup.
With Tierney, Arsenal gained a passionate, dedicated left-back with vigor and determination. It didn’t take long for him to become a beloved figure at the Emirates Stadium.
His courageous displays offered the Gunners supporters a peek at the mindset Arsenal aimed to cultivate, and he played a crucial role in the club’s FA Cup final victory against Chelsea in 2020.
However, things began to decline for Tierney due to persistent injury issues. He amassed 144 appearances for Arsenal, contributing six goals and 14 assists, but couldn’t avoid setbacks with injuries.
The situation deteriorated for Tierney when Mikel Arteta took over. The Spaniard recruited Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City to challenge the injury-prone Tierney.
The additions of adaptable defenders Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori only nudged Tierney lower in the hierarchy, but Myles Lewis-Skelly’s rise ultimately decided his departure.
He spent a year on loan at Real Sociedad before coming back to complete his contract at Arsenal.
Tierney was given only 20 appearances last season, but he concluded in style, scoring in his final Premier League match against relegated Southampton.
The 28-year-old has now rejoined Celtic as a more seasoned full-back. He brings his expertise from top European leagues to assist the Hoops in maintaining their dominance in the Scottish Premiership.
“My ambition is just for Celtic to be as successful as possible, retain our place at the top and continue to win trophies and do well for Celtic,” he said after rejoining Celtic.
“I’ll try and work my hardest, I’ll do my best for the club, and that’s all I can do.”
Nafisa
