Arsenal are not very far away from landing one their primary targets, in fact, according to a Sky Sports reporter they need to find just £2 Million more.
That is all they need to complete the signing of Celtic defender Kieran Tierney, according to Sky Sport’s Dharmesh Sheth.
How credible that is I do not know but if Sheth is right then Arsenal needs to pull their fingers out and get this deal done.
It is as clear as daylight that the defence is in need of major surgery, there are no problems upfront, especially once the Nicolas Pepe deal is confirmed, probably later today. The midfield has been strengthened with Dani Ceballos arriving on loan and the emergence of Joe Willock but not the defence.
Tierney is a classy individual and is very much needed, he is just 22-years-old, has extensive experience having already played over 170 games for Celtic including 21 Champions League appearances.
Speaking on the Sky Sport’s Transfer Talk podcast, Sheth said
“I’ve been told that Arsenal are cautiously optimistic a deal can still happen for Celtic’s Kieran Tierney,”
“Let’s go back to what’s happened with this deal. Their first bid of £15m flat rejected by Celtic.
“They went back in with £25m. Now that figure is something Celtic are willing to deal at, but it was with £18m upfront and the rest dependent on appearances and Champions League qualification for Arsenal.
“But Celtic weren’t happy with that either.
“It seems like it’s boiling down to £2m upfront. I think if Arsenal can put £2m more upfront, they could be in business with Kieran Tierney.
“Significantly, last week Celtic boss Neil Lennon said when the second bid was rejected ‘look, as far as I’m concerned that’s the end of the matter’ and he’s happy that Kieran Tierney is staying because he needs to get his mind right.
“Since then, he’s admitted that Celtic are looking at contingency plans should Tierney leave.
“A subtle change in what’s being said by Celtic, which would imply that perhaps this deal is well and truly on still.”
I do not know too much about Dharmesh Sheth or how credible he is but I am inclined to believe that he is probably not too far off here and with just eight days to go in the transfer window Arsenal really do need to either get this one over the line or move on to other defensive targets.
What they surely cannot do is leave the defence as it is, not if they want to break into the top-four and put silverware into the cabinet.
We’ve been after him all summer… surely we can’t miss out on him now, over a measly 2m!!! We’ve sold Asano – that can go towards it ? come on Arsenal!
LOL we made a £3m loss on Asano. Great piece of business that one as well.
When was the last time we actually made a decent profit???
Come on lads lets have a whip around between us for the extra 2million
Oxlade Chamberlain in 2017
? spot on, Francis…
I’m with you Sean all the way.Tierney who I have seen first hand on numerous occasions is a class act and is a better all round player than the young lad from Crystal Palace for whom Man Utd paid £55m.Monreal is past his best and Kolasinac is poor defensively so we need Tierney asap.Get the deal done please and Mr Emery please do not plead with Kocielney to stay.He wants out, let him go.He has damaged his legacy with Arsenal by his unjustifiable action in refusing to go on the tour to USA.
DB said last night that Tierney was an Arsenal player he has already signed but it has not been released yet . How true that is I don’t know
I think Asano was just needed for interest of Asian fans. More of a tool than a future player
I feel this transfer is done.
The longer the saga continues the more boring and irritating it becomes.
Just having a good laugh at Celtic fans. They seem overly annoyed. Well, it all good for the game.
How long does it take to announce a new signing,can it be that there is a problem with the Pepe imminent arrival???
I am happy with the new signings but I cannot remember negotiations going on for this long in the past I am beginning to think that Tierney or any other defender is coming in this window.
This deal is becoming boring, we have read about this deal continuosly every since last 2 months. To me Celtic is playing hardball to appease their fans, so that it wouldnt seem as if the club just lose theirvasset without a fight. Am more keen about Pepe announcement right now. Defense will be sorted no doubt. Either Tierney or another defender, i trust Raul and the guys in charge of transfer to make right choice
Adajim
This is a reply to this person Adajim who wrote a post on the previous thread sugesting I was a Troll and should get off this site. This was my response as an authentic supporter.
Adajim whoever you are
Being a supporter, and I have been for over 60 years, does not prevent me from telling the truth. Our league has never been won by delusion or fantasy. I write my comments because I am an intense supporter and always have been…will be. But I will write what I see with my eyes. Arsenal have a poor defence. Most others clearly agree. To suggest I am a troll lessens you in my eyes and devalues what you say….to me. I am a full lifelong Arsenal supporter. I hope you have the fortune to have had the great years I have had as a supporter of over 60 years. To honesty and free speech.
Good for you Sean-So you were called out for telling it as it is by someone who has most likely never even seen the team play.I get called all sorts at times for being straight to the point.I cam accept that.We all have views and opinions and if they were all the same we would not have this site.But I would take objection to being called a troll-think they know it all don’t they?
I understand you have your freedom of speech,and you are a very ‘loyal’ fan as you claim, however ,i totally disagree with comments such are ‘we will lose point’, ‘Xhaka will commit error’, i mean who exactly are you supporting, why would you make comment that completely against the team progress?
Its good to be realistic but i totally disagree with your choice of realism.
Reality is, our defence isnt ok, reality is xhaka isnt good enough.
Reality is, nothing is seal until it happen, ‘if’ we fail to get a new cb we might not conceed up to last season and ‘if’ we buy new cb we might be worst defensively.
Reality is, he could have a successful, error free season or worst.
You are not sure ,neither am i, we cant foresee future, we can only predict based on current event.
Most think our problem lies with personel at the heart of defence, i think its our system, i think using wb or fulback as winger exposed us, and noe that we have proper winger it will go a long way in helpind defence and stabilize mf.
I understand most fans and pundits thinks solution to our defence is buying new cb, which the technical dept has done, then buying may work and may not, what if the new cb fail to settle in, what if he get injured.
My Lord ,we can only hope our team get their bearing early and win enough matches to compete
Adajim
Your reply in no way exonerates you from your sad implication to call me a troll and that I should leave this site. I find you disgusting. That’s my response you your statement. I will stay on this site. It is a great forum. Your nasty little personal comment should have been immediately grabbed by Admin. Keep your nastiness for you own life. I am a real Arsenal supporter. My first match was Arsenal 4 Man Utd 5 in 1958. I have spent a small fortune on them since that time. I have a right to say what I see.
Sorry NOT COMING is what I meant to say.
What type of impact can he really have on our defense I wonder. We need to change the entire defense.
I guess we need to change the whole of Arsenal then.
The problem with Arsenal defensively is the set up…our attack depends do much on wingbacks making things happen, which often leave us exposed at the back.
I agree there are cases of individual errors but in any imbalance team like ours, the defence will always make mistakes and leak goals.
I guess that is what the management is trying to do. A full back should stick to his first duty, which is to defend well and wingers should do more of attacking. Then DM and CB will not be drawn out of their positions like it always happen.
Asking for total change of defense is been too emotional.
I think the official announcement of both pepe and Kieran Tierney will be made the same day
Are we waiting for him to recover from his injury? LOL.
Embarrassing that we haven’t got that deal done.
Are we waiting for him to recover from his injury? LOL.
Ridiculous defense issue comes from that incapacity in signing players we need first. The entire defensive line is our main issue from flanks to center. I see why Kos is pissed, season was ruined bc no top CD back up! Why shoild he wants to repeat this no defense experience, hurt on the end?
Mogunna, here are some reasons he should have handled things differently.
1. He is paid a handsome weekly wage of a reported £70,000 a week.
2. During the latter part of his career, he has been injured on many occasions and received top class treatment from the club, including being allowed home to France for his recuparation.
3. He signed a legally binding contract, which has not yet expired
4. He signed this contract, in the knowledge (as far as we know) that he would be part of the first team squad …and…captain of the team.
5. He was part of the defence that pissed up the final games of the season…remember the opening goal against chelsea in the europa final?
6. He is trying to blackmail The Arsenal into letting him go for free, whilst knowing another club want him to sign for them.
I support whatever stance the club takes over this issue, simply because they have done nothing wrong.
As a great admirer of Kos and all he has done for the club, it is so sad that he will be remembered for this stupid strike action, rather than the loyal and 100% commitment he had given to the club previously.
havent we just sold bielik? every transfer window is a saga because we are owned by people who dont really care about the club as a footballing outfit just the asset in their portfolio … so its asset management that trumps everything in the end .. but i have to assume that a defender of some kind will be brought in before deadline otherwise that is taking neglect of the football team to a new level
I have not seen anything official regarding Bielik, just rumours Derby are interested, not sure if it is true if they want to sign him or loan him
Bielik has been sold to derby for £10.5million, sadly, with no buy back clause. However we have a sell-on clause attached to the deal.
The article is fair comment and I doubt many can find much with which to disagree. BUT the elephant in the room that many seem not to give any -or at least ENOUGH attention to – is the many years long gaping hole at CB. IMO, the last really top, top quality CB we had was Sol Campbell. Kos was next best, certainly when at his peak but never world class as some have overhyped him to have been. But below him, apart from the highly promising but not yet fit Holding, we have a duo of clowns(Mustafi and Sokratis) and a few still raw youngsters who may or may not ever be good enough. Overall it is STILL a gaping hole. Elephants in the room should be discussed and their subject rapidly rectified. This assumes Kos will be leaving within days, as I firmly believe.
Jon, what would you say would be the highest honour any footballer would want to aim for and achieve?
Playing professional football? Playing for a top club in the premier league (or equivalent in other countries)? Captaining that team? Representing your country? Winning trophies and medals? Appearing in a world cup? Winning said world cup?
Kos has done all of the above, bar the last one and that was because he was injured while playing for The Arsenal.
In actual fact, he achieved more than most players would ever dream of doing.
That, for me anyway, defines him as a world class player, who, without that Atletico injury, would have had the complete nap hand.
No one in their right senses would argue that we have “elephants in the room” as you put it, but if it was easy to solve, both AW and UE would have done so at the stroke of a pen, if they had the money it takes to sign and reward these w/c players.
Both had tried to bring in the type of player we all want, but it’s not easy to find a Adams, Bould, Keown, Sol, Kolo or Kos type player…we missed out on van dyke for sure of course…yep, a AW /gazidis mistake!!
I believe we are addressing the issue, such a shame we won’t see that particular signing until next season.
If, and it is a BIG IF, kronkie is going to back UE with money rather than platitudes, this will see the club able to sign the kind of w/c player we need in this position.
Meanwhile, we HAVE to give our younger players the opportunity to prove their worth and I hope to see Holding and Chambers come of age this season and challenge Saliba for the right to play for our club.
KEN I agree with muuch of your post and accept tht Kos has achieved much in the game. I never argued that he did not. But surely that is beside the point, as being WC or not is down to sheer personal ability, whilst his achievements have been made with ten others playing beside him at any one time. He has played in some great teams and was , as I said, a good, even very good player, when at his peak, some time ago now. But never WC. WE ARE ALLOWED TO DISAGREE AND ON THIS WE DO!
Kos is over rated, he’s a follower not a leader, Campbell Adams keown, they were leaders at the back, even BFG had really strong leadership qualities which is why they were a great pairing.
Some players can be leaders – most need to be lead
Val, the Invincibles had players who were seen to be led…Parlour – Kolo – Petit – Lauren – Gilberto – Pires – were they any less important than Campbell, Vieira or Henry for example.
Any team needs players who need to be lead, that doesn’t diminish their qualites and performances as part of that team does it?
So Kos is overated because, in your oinion he’s a follower and not a leader? O.K. we see it differently.
KEN, I think him not WC, not because he needs to be led(with which I do concur) but simply because he is not WC level. Next level below,IMO, but there is a huge gap all the same. Being the best since Campbell does NOT mean he is CAMPBELL CLASS; MERELY THAT HE IS THE BEST AND BY A DISTANCE OF ALL THE DUDS WHO JOINED SINCE CAMPBELL LEFT.
SORRY FOLKS it should have been DT
How about arsenal getting in Mateo Pavlovic, the big center back from Angers. He looked good against the arsenal
Am I the only one thinking Bielik should be given his chance to prove his worth in the senior team this season? ?
He’s done very well at Charlton last season, one of star player in Euro Champ U23. Definitely better than Mavropanos and Saliba in my eyes. What do you think guyz ?♂️
Excellent news. Pepe is a wold class winger, who will bring good service for our forwards.
So now it’s time to bring in Kieran Tierney, Lewis Dunk and/or Shane Duffy.