Celtic could struggle to pull off a sensational swoop for former star Kieran Tierney according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Scotland international left the club for £25m in the summer of 2019 and has now been linked with a return to his boyhood club.
What is the latest news about Kieran Tierney's transfer?
According to reports, Tierney "won't close the door" to a potential return to the Bhoys this summer, with the return of former manager Brendan Rodgers to Parkhead potentially a major factor in convincing the 26-year-old to return to Scotland.
The report states that despite the Northern-Irishman receiving a £30m transfer budget for this summer, a permanent switch may still prove too costly for the Scottish champions, with a season-long loan a greater possibility.
However, the recent sale of fan-favourite Jota to the Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad for a fee of £25m could have potentially freed up more funds to make a permanent switch a greater possibility
Celtic aren't the only club interested in the full-back, with reports stating both Newcastle United and Premier League champions Manchester City hold an interest in signing Tierney, with the Magpies boss Eddie Howe thought to have been confident of completing a deal in the region of £30m.
According to Football Insider, the defender has still not heard from Arsenal about whether he is in the club's plans for the 2023/24 campaign, with no conversations between Arteta and Tierney having taken place.
According to Jones, whilst Celtic hold interest, they may not be able to fund the return of their former star.
What has Jones said about the potential transfer?
Speaking to FootballFanCast, Jones stated that the North London club's unwillingness to change their asking price could prevent the Bhoys from signing Tierney.
The transfer insider said: "Newcastle were put off by it recently. And it doesn't seem like Arsenal are gonna budge. I just don't know if I could see Celtic getting to those levels right now. Obviously, they have got the Jota money, but [I'm] not sure that that's exactly where it's gonna go."
Should Celtic "break the bank" for Kieran Tierney?
Bringing their former star back to Parkhead this summer would be a major statement of intent from both Celtic and Rodgers.
The 38-time capped Scotland international enjoyed a very fruitful tenure at the Scottish League champions previously, making 170 appearances for the club, scoring eight and assisting 37 from left-back as the club went on to win 11 trophies across his five-year stint, including five league titles in a row.
Since his move to Arsenal in 2019, it has been a mixed bag for the 26-year-old. Under former manager Unai Emery, the left-back shone, earning praise from fans and pundits alike and becoming a leader within the squad. This continued following the arrival of current boss Arteta, under who Tierney won the only trophy of his Gunners career so far in the FA Cup in 2020.
However, following a knee injury he suffered in March 2022 that kept him out for the remainder of that season, the Isle-of-man-born defender has struggled to break back into the starting line-up ahead of Ukrainian Oleksandr Zinchenko, with the left-back not being a natural fit in the inverted role that the manager is employing on that side.
The Bhoys currently have two natural left-back options at the club, in Greg Taylor and Alexandro Bernabei, however, with the latter failing to hit the heights expected last season, the club could pick up their former left-back to offer some incredible competition to Taylor who impressed last campaign.
Should Tierney want to get his career back on track, a move to Celtic, where he could reignite his previous form which secured him his move to the Gunners, may be the perfect first step on that road.
