Kieran Tierney Celtic return confirmed - but when is big poser as Arsenal talks go on amid another exit

Tierney left Celtic in 2019 to join Arsenal, but now a peripheral figure at the Emirates Stadium and with his current deal expiring at the end of the season, he is set to depart the English Premier League giants.

A move back to Celtic has been widely mooted for some time now and on the eve of the Glasgow side’s Champions League clash with Aston Villa, Rodgers confirmed that a pre-contract agreement has been reached with Tierney.

The Northern Irishman also confirmed that Celtic are working on a deal with Arsenal that would allow the 27-year-old to join before the winter transfer window closes on Monday night.

"Ideally it would [happen in January] but he’s still at this moment an Arsenal player,” Rodgers said on Tuesday night. “I think everyone is agreed that will definitely take place in the summer. If we can do it beforehand, then great.

“We prepared that [the transfer] for the summer. I don’t want to speak too much on it, with the greatest respect, because he’s not a Celtic player here now with us, but if we were able to do it, we would like to do it. But that’s out of our control at this moment in time.”

Tierney has played under Rodgers in the past and flourished under the Northern Irishman’s tutelage. His career away from Celtic has been disrupted by injury, but has featured off the bench for Arsenal of late after recovering from a hamstring rupture.

The Gunners have their own injury issues to deal with, and may be reluctant to let the 47-times capped Scotland man to leave in this window.

Celtic will need to reinforce at left-back regardless of what happens with Tierney after it emerged that Alex Valle, who is currently on loan from Barcelona, is set to join Italian side Como in a permanent transfer.

“Alex won’t play again, sadly,” said Rodgers. “He’s in Barcelona at the moment and he will probably then move on to another team.

“He’s another young player that’s contributed really well for us, played nearly 20 appearances, played in some very important games, made his Champions League debut and, especially at Atalanta, he was fantastic. We’re disappointed he’s left, but we have to move on.”

The only other natural option Celtic have in that area of the pitch is Greg Taylor, although his future is under scrutiny as well given he is entering the final six months of his own contract at Parkhead.