Kieran Tierney is reportedly on the shortlist of January transfer targets for Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who wants to sign a left-back.
According to a report by Daily Record, Jose Mourinho has set his sights on Kieran Tierney. The Celtic defender features on Manchester United’s shortlist of left-back targets for the winter transfer window, with the club’s scouting department proposing the Scot as a younger, more economical alternative to Alex Sandro.
Tierney has progressed leaps and bounds since joining the Celtic youth academy as an eight-year-old. Having made his senior debut at the nascent age of 18, the player has grown rapidly and is now a full-fledged member for both club and country.
This season, Tierney has already made 36 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, cutting a dependable figure at the back while also showing his prowess in the final third with 3 goals and 7 assists. Needless to say, his growth hasn’t gone unnoticed, with Manchester United leading a long line of high-profile suitors that continues to grow.
The Red Devils have been monitoring his progress for a long time now, with their scouts regularly in attendance at Celtic games over the last 18-24 months. Manchester United’s interest in Tierney has only grown as time has passed, with the player putting his head down and working hard to improve.
Kieran Tierney has played more minutes than any other top flight outfield player in Europehttps://t.co/Q5Luzk1fm3 pic.twitter.com/JkIFaZ4sPO
— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) January 5, 2018
With Mourinho eager to sign a left-back this month, the 20-year-old seems to have risen up his priority list. The Manchester United manager currently has just Luke Shaw as a natural left-back in his squad, with the likes of Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian and Ashley Young deployed as makeshift options.
Only Young has managed to stamp his authority among the aforementioned group, and with the English international being on the wrong side of 30, Manchester United have a somewhat urgent need to sign a left-back.
Mourinho, for a long time, favoured a move for an experienced left-back, who would take no time in slotting into his plans. But, the €70 million price tag for Alex Sandro is proving to be prohibitive, and Chelsea are believed to be leading the race to sign the Brazilian.
In addition to that, a turnaround in Luke Shaw’s form seems to have changed Mourinho’s mind, with the Manchester United manager now turning his attention towards younger, more economical options.
This would not just mean that Manchester United will not need to shell out the big bucks to reinforce the position, but also help Mourinho create a long-term solution at left-back in Shaw and Tierney. There are a couple of stumbling blocks in pursuit of the player though.
Tierney will be ineligible to represent Manchester United when the Champions League resumes in February and secondly, the player is not going to force a move away from Celtic, by the looks of it. The Scottish giants are keen on holding on to Tierney too, and it remains to be seen if the Red Devils manage to sign him this month.
