Neil Lennon has revealed he will hold talks with Kieran Tierney and refocus the full-back’s mind on a future with Celtic.
The Hoops boss confirmed a third bid from Arsenal has been rejected for the Scotland star after failing to meet their upfront valuation of £25million.
It’s a transfer saga that Lennon fears has taken its toll on the 22-year-old who may have had his head turned by the prospect of a life-changing move.
The Gunners layered their latest offer with various incentive-based instalment payments but now appear to have walked away from talks to look elsewhere. Now Lennon is ready to get Tierney back on message.
After confirming Israeli defender Hatem Abd Elhamed has been granted a work permit and is completing a medical, the Northern Irishman insists his biggest task this morning could be about convincing Tierney he’s going nowhere.
He said: “The deal, as far as I’m aware, is not happening. We are delighted about that and it’s just a question of appeasing his mind now.
“As far as I am aware, it is finished. I don’t know if Arsenal are going to meet our valuation. So it is basically as you were.
“That may be difficult for Kieran to get his head around – or he comes back to the fold and gets on with things.
“I’ll have to speak to him and I’m sure the club will as well. But it may rumble on as well, I don’t know.
“Until the window closes, we can’t relax and I’m sure Kieran can’t either.”
Lennon is not taking his interest in ex-Leicester full-back Danny Simpson any further after opening talks with an unnamed player and all but securing Elhamed from Hapoel Be’er Sheva ahead of tonight’s clash with Nomme Kalju.
He said: “That [Simpson] is not happening. We are down the line with one player, so he is going through the medical process.
“We got the work permit yesterday so Hatem is doing the paperwork and medical in Paris as we speak.”
