Manchester United have reportedly made contact with Celtic to try and hash out a summer deal for Scottish defender Kieran Tierney.
According to a report by ESPN, the 20-year-old Scottish international has emerged as a top priority for Jose Mourinho this summer, as the Manchester United boss looks to fix his issues at left-back before the start of next season.
The report goes on to state that Manchester United have already made Celtic aware of their interest in Tierney and are ‘confident’ that they can sign him in the summer. Furthermore, the Hoops have resigned themselves to the fact that they cannot compete with the lure and the financial might of the English top-flight.
Manchester United reportedly see Tierney as a better, long-term option in comparison to Danny Rose and have watched him numerous times over the course of the past year. Since making his debut for Celtic in 2015, the player has gone onto to make 125 appearances across all competitions.
In that time, Tierney has netted seven goals and provided 30 assists. This season has been the most productive of his career. He has made 50 appearances in Brendan Rodgers’ side, scoring 4 goals and providing 10 assists in the process and he is on course to win his third consecutive Scottish League title.
Celtic’s dominance in domestic competitions over the past decade would have undoubtedly inculcated a winning mentality into the 20-year-old. He has already won 2 Scottish Premiership titles, a Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup, and it comes as no surprise that Manchester United, among others, are interested in him.
Tierney has gone on to establish himself as one of the best full-backs in the Premiership and one the most promising young defensive talents in European football. He also made his international debut for Scotland in 2016 and has since made 9 appearances for them, evening wearing the captain’s armband in a friendly against Holland.
This season at Manchester United, Daley Blind was sidelined for large parts of the season while Luke Shaw, who has also had his fair share of injuries, has failed to win over Mourinho and the Portuguese has been forced to use the 32-year-old Ashley Young as a makeshift left-back for the majority of the campaign.
Shaw looks set to leave Old Trafford in the summer and Tierney would be a fine addition for Manchester United. A young, hard working left-back with immense potential to improve. He would likely thrive under Jose Mourinho’s tutelage and with the right guidance, could be a great long term option for the Red Devils.
