Arsenal ready to make formal move to sign Celtic defender

Arsenal are reportedly prepared to make an official approach for Kieran Tierney as they seek to strengthen their defensive options ahead of next term.

The Gunners suffered a disappointing 2018/19 campaign where they finished fifth in the league standings while failing to beat Chelsea in the Europa League final.

As such, they have failed to qualify for the Champions League for the third season running and this is expected to limit the budget for the summer transfer window.

According to The Mail, Gunners boss Unai Emery is keen on recruiting the services of Tierney and a formal approach is likely to be made for the Scot in the coming days.

Tierney has been linked with a Premier League move on numerous occasions in the past and reports indicate that the Gunners may have to part with nearly half of their £45m budget to lure him from Celtic.

Tierney, who can feature in both the central defensive and left-back positions, has made 170 appearances for the Scottish champions across all competitions to date.