Arsenal potentially on verge of closing a drawn-out transfer saga

Sky Sports News “understands” that Celtic left back Kieran Tierney is on his way to London after his boyhood club and Arsenal have finally - finally - reached an agreement for his very protracted transfer this summer.

If true, the deal should be finalized and announced before tomorrow’s domestic transfer window closure at 5pm GMT. And based on other rumors, it appears that Tierney might not be the only defender joining the club before then.

Tierney’s arrival would have a direct impact on the playing time (and maybe futures) of Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac. The former is getting up there in age and showed off speed last season only a crocked sloth would desire, but it’s the latter who would be most concerned at this point. After all, the skills Tierney possesses in his toolbox seem to more or less overlap with Kolasinac’s. If the younger Scot, whose contract demands and requirements are unknown at this point, takes a bit longer to heal from his double hernia operation, then surely the Bosnian international faces a spell in which he must prove that he still brings with him a value the club cannot afford to be without.

More to come, as always. It’s going to be a very interesting next 20 hours for Arsenal fans.