CELTIC are in pole position to pull off a sensational transfer coup and bring Kieran Tierney back to Parkhead.
On Wednesday evening it emerged that Arsenal will not exercise the option to extend the Scottish star's contract beyond next summer.
This means that Tierney can sign a pre-contract with a non-English club next month.
And now SunSport can reveal that Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers – who has wanted Tierney back since his return – is ready to bring him back to the club where he started his career and won four league trophies.
It is understood the Parkhead are considering a deal to take the 27-year-old fan favorite home when the transfer window opens next month.
But with Tierney – who left Celtic five years ago for a then Scottish record fee of £25million – on a six-figure weekly wage, that could prove difficult.
Celtic could look to sign him on loan for the final six months of his Emirates deal.
But if that is not possible, they could try to get him to sign a pre-contract agreement, which would allow him to return to action for the start of the 2025/26 season.
There is certainly rival interest for his signature from the English Premier League and overseas clubs, with Newcastle United previously strong contenders.
But Celtic are believed to be firmly in the driver's seat to get a deal done.
Tierney has always had a strong desire to return to Celtic one day and there is now a good chance that this could happen.
Boss Rodgers currently has two main options at left-back, but the futures of both Greg Taylor and Alex Valle are uncertain.
Taylor has been at the club since joining from Kilmarnock as a replacement for Tierney in a £2million transfer in 2019, but his contract expires in the summer and there is no sign of an extension having been agreed.
Valle is only on loan at the club until the end of the season, although there is speculation that his stay could be cut even shorter if Barcelona decide to recall him in January.
A Hoops homecoming for Tierney would delight fans who adored the fan of his youth.
SunSport announced in June last year that Tierney was open to a return at the time, but the deal could not be completed.
Instead, he was loaned out to Real Sociedad in La Liga for a season.
However, Tierney's career was severely hampered by a succession of injuries and two hamstring knocks limited his playing time in Spain.
He returned to fitness in time for Scotland's Euro 2024 campaign and started the opening match against Germany, but another hamstring injury against Switzerland ended his campaign prematurely.
He made his first Arsenal start in 19 months in last night's 3-2 Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace.
He was taken off the field by boss Mikel Arteta as a precaution after 69 minutes.
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