Arsenal transfer news: Gunners receive transfer boost as Kieran Tierney's agent says defender could be on the move

What's the story?

Arsenal have been given a transfer boost after Kieren Tierney's agent, Allan Preston, opened the door for the defender's move to the Emirates with his latest comments.

In case you didn't know...

Tierney has emerged as one of Arsenal's prime candidates to reinforce their defense due to his consistency in the last three years.

The 22-year-old has played an influential role in Celtic's dominance in the Scottish Premier League and lifted four league titles so far. He has further won two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups during this period.

The three-time Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year is tipped to be a worthy option at left-back, where the likes of Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac have been underwhelming.

The Gunners, who already had their first £15 million opening bid for Tierney rejected, are expected to make an improved offer in the days to come.

The North London outfit are currently facing a transfer crunch owing to their failure to land Champions League football, and face the monumental task of strengthening their back line as well as replacing Aaron Ramsey with a limited budget of around £40 million.

The heart of the matter

Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Preston addressed Tierney's exit rumors, stating that he could be on his way out if the right price is met for his services.

He said (via Mirror Football), "It is all down to Celtic – if they get a price that they believe is the correct value for Kieran Tierney he could possibly be on his way. No one has hit that price yet."

"I know Kieran really well, I had some food with him the other day. He is such an unassuming young man. He is wealthy at the moment but he doesn’t possess a watch because he isn’t into material things like this."

"He still hangs about with his pals from when he was a youngster, he sponsors his local pub team where his pals play and he’s not into his designer gear or anything like that."

Preston continued, "As the guys say, he loves Celtic. Will there be a time for Kieran Tierney to go? I think that there will be."

"If it’s just now it will be up to the clubs that are involved – Arsenal, Napoli or whoever – to then put the money on the table and make Celtic think about this. If there is a time for Kieran to go it will be up to Celtic, Peter Lawwell and the board."

What's next?

Despite the rejection of their first bid, Arsenal appear to be optimistic about bringing Tierney to the Emirates with a possible second bid. Meanwhile, they take on Colorado on 16 July in a pre-season friendly.