[ad_pod ]

Neil Lennon has said that Celtic got a good deal when they sold Kieran Tierney to Arsenal during the transfer window.

What did he stay?

The Gunners targeted the Scotland international for much of the summer, and even had two bids rejected as they pursued him.

However, they finally got their hands on the 22-year-old on deadline day. In the end, Celtic received £25m for the left-back, which is the highest fee ever paid for a Scottish Premier League player.

Whilst he may have been a star for the Bhoys, manager Lennon believes that it is a good bit of business for the Glasgow-based outfit, saying:

“I think overall we are healthy. We have spent some money and brought some quality players in shrewdly.

“We’ve also made a really good sale of a top player and we got top dollar for him. It has been a very good window. I think we are strong.”

"They have the bigger mentality" - Spurs fans come to blows after the North London Derby in the video below...

Did Arsenal get a good deal?

As part of the treble-treble-winning side, Tierney has written himself into Celtic folklore. Such were the level of his performances, there was certainly a feeling that he had outgrown the club north of the border.

However, it is certainly questionable whether Arsenal really did get a good deal. He may be a talent but that can only be proven when he is on the pitch. Once again, he is currently out injured, and it is a running theme during his short career. No matter how much quality he has, if he is unable to appear, then what is the point in him being at the club?

There is also the question of whether he can handle the pace and intensity of the Premier League. In Scotland, Celtic are so far ahead of the rest it is almost unhealthy. Since 2014-15, they have won the league by at least nine points in every season and one year, the gap to second was 30. How hard will it be for him to adapt and find his place in a side that needs to compete every weekend if an easy route to the title is all he has ever known?

It is also a significant outlay - he is the 11th-most-expensive player ever to join the north London outfit -and following the sale of fellow left-back Nacho Monreal, there's huge pressure on this acquisition to pay off.

Time will tell whether Arsenal will get their money's worth. But, as Lennon suggests, perhaps Celtic got the better end of the bargain.

[ad_pod ]