West Ham are in the market for defensive reinforcements as performances in recent weeks cemented the idea that the club needs to add solid players in order to prevent embarrassing defeats. As per reports from TBR Football journalist Graeme Bailey, the Hammers have set their sights on out-of-favor Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney, who has struggled for game-time at the Emirates Stadium.
The player has also entered the final six months of his current deal with the Gunners, with his agents CAA Stellar of the belief that the club should terminate the contract for a fee and allow the player to seek his own move. However, there is a twist in this tale as Tierney is reportedly only holding out for a return to boyhood club Celtic, where he spent 14 years as a youth scholar and first-teamer.
Having struggled with fitness issues at first, followed by becoming a tactical misfit after a managerial change, Tierney’s roller-coaster stint with Arsenal seems to be coming to a gradual end. He spent the entirety of the 2023/24 season out on loan at Real Sociedad, which was a telltale sign of things to come.
Could West Ham tempt Kieran Tierney to join them?
Having played just 69 minutes in one EFL Cup match this season, Tierney will be desperate for game-time in the future as he looks for a move away from Arsenal. While a return to Celtic is nostalgic and wonderful, the player can still be a valuable asset for West Ham, who will look to move on from the injury-stricken Aaron Cresswell.
Cresswell has spent the majority of the last few years on the treatment table. The player is also 35, meaning the end of his career is just around the corner, with Emerson Palmieri being the preferred option to start. He is also 30 at the moment and the Hammers need to invest in younger players to secure their future.
Should he join, Tierney would be the youngest left-back option at the club and could still give them a few good years of playing before he eventually decides to hang up his boots.
