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Celtic won't be "pushed over" by clubs chasing Kieran Tierney | Neil Lennon


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Celtic manager Neil Lennon has warned that the Scottish Champions will not be "pushed over" by any club looking to sign star full-back Kieran Tierney.

Arsenal had a second offer for the attacking left-back rejected, reported to be around £25 million, on Monday but talks are ongoing.

Lennon pointed to the deal that took Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace to Manchester United, claiming that Tierney is a more accomplished player.

"You know, our valuation of Kieran is correct," Lennon said on Tuesday. "Fifty-million for Wan-Bissaka is a lot of money and we feel that Kieran's the far more experienced and more rounded full-back at this juncture of 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 regards to a number of our assets in the team.

"The club's valuation of Kieran has not been met and until then we don't have a discussion."

Kieran Tierney vs Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Wan-Bissaka (21) has completed just one season of Premier League football after his breakthrough in the 2017/18 season in which he made just seven appearances.

The right-back's stock has risen after 35 top-flight starts last term but the England under-21 international has yet to be capped at senior level.

22-year-old Tierney, on the other hand, has played 12 times for Scotland, whom he captained at the age of 20, and has won five league titles and 3 Scottish Cups since his Celtic debut in 2015.

He has also gained a lot of experience on the European stage playing 12 Europa League matches and 9 in the Champions League.

Tierney remains sidelined as he recovers from a hernia operation and Lennon revealed that it could be a few weeks before he joins the rest of the squad for training.

"He's a great player, a great talent," added Lennon. "At 22, he's already achieved a hell of a lot and he has so much more to give to the game.

"He's our player. He's on a long-term contract. While it's a backhanded compliment for all the hard work people here have done over the years with Kieran, we don't want him to go."


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