Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho reportedly wants to overhaul his defence in the summer and sees Kieran Tierney as an ideal target.
Manchester United are set to up the ante in their pursuit of 20-year old Celtic defender Kieran Tierney ahead of next season, according to a report from the Daily Record.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is understood to be unhappy with the current defensive personnel at his disposal and sees an overhaul in the summer as an important step in the direction of catching up with runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City in the coming years. He has, thus, identified Tierney as a suitable candidate for the club.
The 20-year old Celtic star has been monitored by Manchester United ever since he broke into the Hoops’ senior team as a teenager. There were strong rumours of a move for Tierney from the Red Devils in the last summer but nothing materialized.
However, Manchester United have continued to keep an eye on him and are impressed with his rapid development over the course of the season. Tierney, in the ongoing campaign, has managed 48 appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ side, notching up 4 goals and 9 assists in the process.
It is understood that Tierney’s versatility of being able to play as a left-back or as a central defender in a three-man backline has prompted Manchester United scouts to push for his signature in the summer, while his leadership qualities are also said to be a clincher for Mourinho – Tierney, this season, has captained Celtic and Scotland on the international level and impressed everyone.
The left-back position has been a big bone of contention for Manchester United in the past few years and it has continued to plague Mourinho’s team in the 2017/18 season as well. The Portuguese tactician has seemingly grown frustrated over the lack of performances from the talented Luke Shaw and has constantly used converted winger Ashley Young in the left-back slot.
Mourinho’s latest criticism of Shaw, following United’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup, could be the final straw in the Englishman’s career at the Old Trafford. With him understood to be looking for a new club and the futures of Daley Blind and Matteo Darmian also up in the air, a new left-back is very much a priority signing for Manchester United in the summer.
Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Juventus mainstay Alex Sandro, but with the Italian champions demanding a hefty fee, it seems the 20-time English league title winners see Tierney, who is valued around £20 million, as a more sound investment, given his age and tremendous potential.
There might be concerns if Tierney will be able to make the step up to the Premier League from the Scottish Premiership, but his performances in Celtic’s short stints in the UEFA Champions League in the past two years and at the international level with Scotland have shown that he can cut it out at the biggest of the stages.
