Arsenal: Kieran Tienry is going to happen, just be patient

Arsenal are still tip-toeing around signing Kieran Tierney, but this is a deal that is going to happen, so just have a seat and get comfortable.

Okay, so maybe it’s been mighty annoying seeing Arsenal submit three bids, all shy of Celtic’s valuation of Kieran Tierney, all while knowing exactly what Celtic want in order to part with the sparkling leftback.

None of that is surprising. When a club says “give us £30m” and you offer them £15m, then £18m, then £18m plus add-ons, then £25m, you’re not going to whittle them down. Celtic don’t have to rush to sell him, there’s no reason to.

That said, Kieran Tierney has been around the transfer rumor mill all summer. It’s a clear need that the Gunners have with a clear price that they can afford. That is reason No. 1 why I know that Tierney will be suiting up at the Emirates next year, even if it’s taking us a little bit longer to get there.

We always knew this transfer window was going to be a slog and it proved to be that up until July rolled around, and even for some weeks after. But even with the limited budget and the mass of needs, we’ve managed to put together a successful window, with Unai Emery opening the door for more moves to come.

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Which leads to reason No. 2 why I know that Kieran Tierney is just a matter of time: We just signed Nicolas Pepe. Any footballing brains that could pull off that deal can pull together a way to secure something else that we critically need. Especially with Celtic admitting that they expect more bids to come.

This is one of those deals that we should have felt a lot of confidence in right from the start, seeing how tenaciously the Gunners were going after him. Just the fact that they made more bids, and that we know they made more bids, is proof enough, seeing as how they didn’t make any increased bids for hardly anyone all summer.

Plus, the price is manageable. My guess is that they’ve just been trying to finesse a deal that doesn’t involve paying it all up front, but in time, that will fall away and, if need be, we can still afford to pay it all up front anyway.

So kick back, relax, and settle in. Kieran Tierney is coming to the Emirates, even if he isn’t here yet.