CELTIC WILL NOT be “pushed over” in Kieran Tierney transfer talks with Arsenal, says Neil Lennon, with the Hoops considering their defender to be “more experienced and rounded” than Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
One highly-rated full-back has already been on the move this summer, with Manchester United splashing out £50 million (€55.4m) on an England U21 international.
That deal is considered to have set the bar for others, with Celtic making it clear that there is no way they will be parting with Tierney unless the price they have put on his head is met. As things stand, Arsenal have seen two offers knocked back, with the most recent coming in at £25m (€27.7m).
The Scottish champions insist they will not be relaxing their stance and bowing to pressure, with Lennon aware of the talent the Hoops have on their hands and the kind of fee he should be generating if made available on the open market.
The Celtic boss told reporters when quizzed on a long-running saga surrounding Tierney: “We can’t do anything about what clubs do in England. £50m for Wan-Bissaka is a lot of money and we feel that Kieran is a far more experienced and rounded full-back at this juncture in his career.
“He’s an asset for us and we do have a value for the player and we rate the player very highly. So ‘disrespectful’ is the wrong word, but we’re certainly not going to be pushed over in any negotiations and we’re in a very strong position with regard to a number of our assets in the team.”
Lennon added: “The club’s valuation of Kieran has not been met and until then we don’t have a discussion to make. I don’t know what Arsenal’s financial state is. I know what ours is and we are quite comfortable with the situation at the moment.
“There has been a second bid, the bid has been rejected and it’s as you were. He’s a great player and a great talent. He’s just 22 years old and has so much more to give to the game.
“It doesn’t surprise me that there are potential suitors. It’s a compliment for all the work he’s done over the years. He’s got a long-term contract and we don’t want him to go.”
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