Celtic completed a huge deal in the January transfer window as it was revealed that they had agreed a pre-contract with Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney.
The Scotland international’s contract with the Premier League side is set to expire at the end of the season, which is when the defender will officially sign for the Hoops to start his second spell at Parkhead.
Tierney, as you can see in the graphic above, enjoyed an incredibly successful time with Celtic after he came up through the academy system, winning five Scottish Premiership titles and providing a big threat at the top end of the pitch.
It will very interesting to see what the left-back situation does look like when the experienced Gunners defender eventually makes the move to Celtic in the summer window.
Celtic’s current left-back situation
Greg Taylor is currently the first-choice left-back in Glasgow after seeing off a challenge from Alex Valle, whose loan from Barcelona was cut short in the January transfer window.
The Scottish full-back has started 18 of his 20 appearances in the Premiership so far this season, but Sportnet recently reported that he has signed a pre-contract agreement with Dinamo Zagreb ahead of a free transfer to Croatia in the summer.
|
24/25 Premiership |
Greg Taylor |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
20 |
|
Big chances created |
7 |
|
Assists |
6 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.3 |
|
Duel success rate |
53% |
As you can see in the table above, Taylor has offered a big creative threat from left-back and has been solid defensively, winning more than half of his duels.
Jeffrey Schlupp, meanwhile, was brought in on loan from Crystal Palace on deadline day to provide cover and competition in the left-back position.
The Ghana international won 100% (3/3) of his aerial duels in 18 minutes on his debut against Dundee, before starting the 5-0 win over Raith Rovers on Saturday.
Schlupp, at 32 and only on loan, is not the long-term answer to the left-back problem looming at Parkhead, with Taylor on his way to Dinamo Zagreb, and Brendan Rodgers could instantly replace him by unearthing the club’s new Tierney in Matthew Anderson.
Why Matthew Anderson could be Kieran Tierney 2.0
The Scotland U21 international has spent the past 18 months or so on loan at Austrian side Admira Wacker and has shown potential to be a future star for the Hoops.
He spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan in Austria and caught the eye with a return of one goal and six assists in 21 appearances as a left-back, which shows that the 20-year-old starlet has the potential to be a Tierney-esque figure who can provide a big threat in the final third from that role.
Anderson, who managed four goals and four assists in 25 matches for Celtic’s B team, did have a chance to impress with three appearances pre-season tour of the USA last summer and Rodgers described him as an “attacking threat” from left-back.
The Scottish youngster has produced one goal and one assist in nine league matches during the current campaign and the Celtic boss should provide the defender with an opportunity to stake a claim for a first-team spot next season, with Schlupp and Taylor set to be on their way.
Anderson, who still has plenty of time left to develop and improve, is a Hoops academy graduate with an attacking mindset and quality in the final third, which is why he could end up being Tierney 2.0 for the club.
And who better to learn from than the man himself next season? Rodgers could bring the Admira Wacker star into the first-team group next season and use him as Tierney’s understudy at first, with a view to him being the long-term option in that position.
Related
Worth more than Maeda: Celtic hit gold with a star whose value soared £5.5m
Celtic hit the jackpot by selling the star who is now worth more than Daizen Maeda.
Therefore, the Scottish giants could instantly replace Schlupp, who is due to return to Palace in the summer, by bringing the loanee, who is 12 years younger than him, into the fold.
