Celtic plotting talks to sign “unique” star

Celtic ran out comfortable winners yet again in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday as they secured a 4-0 win over St Johnstone in their last game of the year.

The Hoops will now head into 2025 at the top of the division, 14 points clear of Rangers in second place, and are on course to seal a fourth straight title.

Brendan Rodgers’ side also face the Gers in their first game of the New Year on Thursday at Ibrox, which means that they have a chance to move 17 points clear of their Glasgow rivals.

The Northern Irish head coach has enjoyed plenty of success since his return to Parkhead ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, winning the Premiership title, the SFA Cup, and the League Cup so far.

His team are also on course to qualify for the play-off stage of the Champions League, with one defeat in six matches thus far, ahead of the final two games of the league phase.

Despite all of the team’s success, Rodgers is still looking to improve his squad when the January transfer window opens for business later this week.

Celtic plotting talks with Premier League ace

According to Football Insider, Celtic are plotting talks with Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney to secure a pre-contract deal for the Scottish defender.

The report claims that the Rodgers ‘working’ on a move to bring the Scotland international back to Parkhead on a free trransfer at the end of the season, as his current contract with the Gunners is due to expire next summer.

Due to his deal running down, Celtic are able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with the left-footed star when the January transfer window opens for business, which would then see him officially link up with Rodgers and his squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The outlet adds that Tierney is interested in returning to Glasgow for a second spell with the Hoops and would be prepared to reject offers from other clubs in Europe to make the move, with Football Insider revealing that there are several other sides in the mix to land his signature.

It also claims that Arsenal would be open to allowing him to leave on loan for the second half of the season, before a free transfer in the summer, and this means that the Bhoys could secure a pre-contract deal in January whilst also landing him on loan in the short-term.

Tierney could come in as an excellent addition to the team in the winter window, if they sign him on loan initially, and as a fantastic partner for another potential signing next month – Sondre Orjasaeter.

Why Celtic should sign Sondre Orjasaeter

Celtic are reportedly keen to add another left winger to the group ahead of the second half of the season and have been linked with an interest in Sarpsborg forward Sondre Orjasaeter, who could come in to provide competition in the attacking areas for Rodgers.

He is a 21-year-old attacker who typically plays on the left flank and looks to cut inside onto his right foot to provide quality in the final third, as both a scorer and a creator of goals for his side.

The Norway U21 international is particularly impressive at creating high-quality chances for his teammates when coming infield on his favoured foot, as shown by his impressive form for Sarpsborg in the Eliteserien during the 2024 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, Orjasaeter could come in as a big upgrade on Daizen Maeda from a creative perspective, as he averages more assists, ‘big chances’ created, and dribbles per game.

Now, Celtic could revamp their left-hand side in January by swooping to sign the Norwegian starlet and bringing in Tierney to play behind him in the left-back position.

The Scottish full-back has the attacking potential to be the perfect full-back for the 21-year-old winger, and they could link-up to devastating effect in the final third.

Why Kieran Tierney is perfect for Sondre Orjasaeter

Orjasaeter, as explained earlier, wants to cut inside onto his right foot from the left wing to cause problems at the top end of the pitch, and that makes him the perfect winger for an overlapping full-back.

The Norwegian maestro coming infield can drag the opposition right-back inside and create the space for Tierney to be able to bomb on and deliver crosses on the left flank, giving the opposing a defence a multitude of problems to solve at once.

During his first spell with the Hoops, the Scotland international delivered 37 assists in 170 matches in all competitions for the club, which is an average of one every 3.14. Whereas Greg Taylor has assisted 30 in 196 games for Celtic, which suggests that Tierney could come in to offer more creativity from a left-back position.

This means that the Arsenal outcast could be the perfect signing alongside Orjasaeter, if the Hoops can land both of them, to provide that overlapping threat that would combine well with the winger’s inclination to come inside.

As you can see in the table above, Tierney also showcased his solid defensive work whilst on loan with Real Sociedad in LaLiga during the 2023/24 campaign.

The experienced ace, who was once hailed as a “unique” talent by Rodgers, has the physical qualities to win the majority of his duels and make multiple defensive interventions per match to maintain Celtic’s defensive strength.

However, his first spell in Glasgow suggests that the defender also has the quality in possession to be a difference-maker in the final third with his assists from left-back, which is why he could be an excellent addition and the perfect signing alongside Orjasaeter next month.