Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners' opening bid for Kieran Tierney rejected

What's the story?

Arsenal have seen their first official opening bid for Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney rejected.

In case you didn't know...

Celtic's 22-year-old left back has long been a transfer target for the Gunners. This is the first time that Arsenal have made an official bid to sign the Scottish international this summer as the Gunners look to bolster their defence.

The heart of the matter

According to David Ornstein from the BBC, Celtic have rejected Arsenal's opening bid for the left-back.The report stated that the Gunners had made a £15 million bid for the 22-year-old.

Despite the first bid being rejected, there is an air of optimism between both the clubs on accepting a better offer for the defender. Personal terms between the Premier League club and the player is not expected to be a problem.

The 22-year-old is a Celtic academy product and came through the club's youth system. Kieran Tierney made his debut in April 2015 and has amassed 170 appearances thus far. Tierney also scored 8 goals for the Hoops across all competitions. This season, the left-back missed numerous games due to a hip injury. It limited his game time to just 20 appearances in the Scottish Premiership.

The defender also has 12 international caps to his name after making his debut for Scotland in 2016.

As reported elsewhere Arsenal have had an opening bid of £15m for Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney rejected - but there is optimism an agreement will be reached between the clubs, while personal terms for the 22-year-old Scotland international shouldn’t be a problem #AFC #CelticFC

— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) June 22, 2019

What's next?

Arsenal are reportedly looking to offload many names in their squad as they look to raise funds for transfers. The Gunners are very likely to add a defender to their squad after Stephan Lichtsteiner left the club.

Both Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal are both past their 30s and their fitness levels are not as good as before. As such, the North London club is actively searching for defensive reinforcements this summer.