With Arsenal still reportedly chasing Celtic defender Kieran Tierney this summer, the Scottish full-back has received the blessing of a Gunners legend over a potential move to the Emirates Stadium.
Tierney’s signature is said to be being pursued by Arsenal as well as Napoli – and former goalkeeper David Seaman was full of praise for the 22-year-old who could be a Premier League player within the coming weeks.
While the club have entered negotiations for Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, Seaman outlined his main concern for The Gunners this summer in an exclusive interview with football.london.
He said: “It’s no secret that Arsenal need to strengthen their defence, certainly after missing out on Champions League qualification. I think Tierney would be an ideal addition for Arsenal.
“He’s a leader and he’s tenacious. It’s always good to have leaders in the defence and Tierney would certainly be that.”
Perhaps there is no surprise at the ex-goalkeeper happy to prioritise the defence, but in this case, that is probably justified. With a move for Tierney certainly looking more financially feasible (judging by the club’s opening bid, anyway), there is surely more common sense in focusing on more probable scenarios – particularly if the main stumbling block for transfers this year turns out to be money-related.
Tierney’s future success in an Arsenal shirt will have to be seen before it is believed, but getting that kind of praise from a man who knows what a solid Gunners defence actually looks like suggests Unai Emery could be onto a winner if he can seal a deal for the Scotsman.