Arsenal transfer news: Gunners target Kieran Tierney is 'a lot better' than Nacho Monreal, says former Scottish striker

What's the story?

Former Blackburn Rovers and Scotland striker Kevin Gallacher believes Celtic defender Kieran Tierney is "a lot better" than Arsenal left-back Nacho Monreal, adding that the former would be a bargain for the Gunners this summer transfer window.

In case you didn't know

Tierney has been the subject of Arsenal's interest this summer as the club continues to look for affordable defensive reinforcements. The Gunners have a limited transfer budget of £45 million after failing to secure Champions League football both through the Premier League and the Europa League.

The 22-year-old has been identified as a potential option at left-back considering Nacho Monreal's declining form and Sead Kolasinac's underwhelming displays in the previous campaign.

The Gunners are in the midst of a defensive crisis, having finished their domestic campaign with most goals conceded in the English top flight. The likes of Shkodran Mustafi and Stephan Lichsteiner have struggled to inspire Unai Emery's back four. Furthermore, Hector Bellerin is set to miss out on the initial stages of the upcoming campaign owing to his knee injury.

A few days ago, Celtic was reported to have rejected Arsenal's £15 million opening bid for Tierney but there remains an air of optimism in regards to the possibility of the transfer.

The Scotland international has netted eight goals in 170 appearances for the Hoops so far and looks to be a priority for the Gunners at the moment.

The heart of the matter

Gallacher has backed Tierney's abilities claiming that he is already better than Monreal and would be a bargain signing for Arsenal this summer.

Speaking to The Herald, he said, "Kieran can definitely cope with a move to Arsenal. He is a quality player. A team like Arsenal play football. I think it will suit Kieran and the way he plays – he is an attacking full-back. That is a strength of his."

"At the moment, they have got Monreal playing full-back. I think Kieran is a lot better than him."

"Arsenal scouts have obviously been watching him very closely over a period of time and their analysts have looked at different aspects of his play. They clearly believe he will fit into the system that they play."

"If Kieran goes down there, stays patient and grasps his opportunity with both hands when he gets it then the sky is the limit for him. He isn’t stupid. He will have seen what Andy Robertson did in Liverpool. If he takes a leaf out of Andy’s book he will do well."

What's next?

Arsenal are believed to be preparing a second bid for the Celtic defender as Emery is desperate to bolster the squad ahead of the new season.