Has Neil Lennon just ended Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney hopes?

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Neil Lennon appears to have made Arsenal’s quest to sign Kieran Tierney a lot more difficult, by insisting the club are in ‘a strong position’ over the full-back.

The Gunners have reportedly made a second bid worth £25 million, which has been turned down by the Scottish champions.

Talks are ongoing, and Unai Emery’s side are expected to return with another offer.

But they may really have their work cut out given what Lennon has said about the situation.

According to the 48-year-old, the club aren’t under pressure to sell, and he even referenced Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s recent transfer to Manchester United (BBC Sport).

He said (BBC Sport): “£50 million for Wan-Bissaka is a lot of money and we feel that Kieran is a far more experienced and rounded full-back at this juncture in 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.”

TBR’s view

Celtic fans ought to be delighted with this stance from Lennon.

It sounds very much as though the club are going to squeeze a huge amount out of Arsenal if Tierney does have to be sold this summer.

The pressure is now on for Arsenal, with time running out until the closure of the window on August 8.

Their supposed transfer budget of just £45 million will seemingly have to take a serious hit if they are to sign Tierney.

If Celtic stay strong and demand ‘Wan-Bissaka money’ for their asset, surely Arsenal can forget all about a deal.

In light of Lennon’s comments, it is perhaps now looking as though they may have rely on the player to force the move by way of a transfer request.