Celtic have agreed a pre-contract with Kieran Tierney but the left-back is not expected to join from Arsenal until the summer.
The Scottish champions were pushing to sign the defender in this transfer window but are now looking at alternative targets.
Sky Sports News understands Tierney, 27, will stay at the Premier League club until the end of this season.
Celtic have already ended Alex Valle’s loan from Barcelona, with the defender set to now join Como.
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Tierney joined Arsenal from Celtic in August 2019 in a deal worth £25m
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers did want Tierney back at the club for their Champions League playoffs, but admitted it was “out of our control”.
Speaking on Tuesday, Rodgers was asked if Valle’s departure could lead to Tierney re-signing this month, and said: “Ideally it would [happen in January] but, at this moment, he’s still an Arsenal player.
“I think everyone is agreed that it will definitely take place in the summer. If we can do it beforehand, then great.
“I don’t know. I think that, like I said, we’d prepared that for the summer. And I don’t want to speak too much on it, with the greatest respect, because he’s not a Celtic player here now with us.
“But, if we were able to do it, of course we would like to do that. But that’s out of our control at this moment in time.”
Tierney missed the first three months of the season with a serious hamstring injury picked up while playing for Scotland at Euro 2024 and has made just five appearances for the Gunners since his return to fitness.
The 27-year-old had been told that he can leave the north London club by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, with the Gunners not triggering the one-year extension on his contract.
Arsenal have a decision to make before the transfer deadline, with fellow left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid.
The emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly could allow for Tierney and Zinchenko to move in this window, with Ricardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber also able to cover that position.
Rodgers ‘disappointed’ at Valle’s exitMeanwhile, Rodgers expressed his disappointment at Valle leaving the club after his loan was terminated early.
The Northern Irishman said: “Alex won’t play again, sadly. He’s in Barcelona at the moment and he will probably then move on to another team.
“He’s another young player that’s contributed really well for us, played nearly 20 appearances, played in some very important games, made his Champions League debut and, especially at Atalanta, he was fantastic.
“We’re disappointed he’s left, but we have to move on.”
Rodgers on Kyogo exit: ‘He’s been an iconic player’
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Brendan Rodgers (right) has praised Kyogo Furuhashi’s impact at Celtic after he left the club
Valle’s exit comes after Kyogo Furuhashi joined Rennes, with Rodgers calling him an “iconic player for the club”.
“He’s been a real iconic player for the club, he’s done brilliantly during his time,” he said.
Will Celtic miss ‘outstanding’ Kyogo and can Jota replace him?”It’s about getting a replacement, he did a great job, he wanted to leave.
“We have known for a number of months. Clearly we wouldn’t have wanted to sell him but he made it clear he wanted to move and when that’s the case, we have to find the best solution for the club.
“The club will work very hard to find a solution.”
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