Though the January transfer window is still months away, Celtic have already been linked with a potential move for a former player. Reports suggest that Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is keen on returning to Parkhead in the second half of the season.
According to the reports, the Hoops are exploring the possibility of bringing back the Scotland international, and Arsenal is reportedly open to letting Tierney leave on loan to facilitate a return to Glasgow.
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Kieran Tierney departed Celtic for Arsenal in the summer of 2019, with the Premier League side paying a substantial £25 million fee. During his time at Celtic, Tierney made a remarkable 170 appearances, winning all the major domestic honors in Scotland, including five Scottish Premiership titles.
To replace Tierney, Celtic brought in Belgian defender Boli Bolingoli from Austrian side Rapid Vienna for a reported £3 million, offering him a £780,000-per-season salary. Bolingoli had shown promise with two goals and two assists in 25 Bundesliga appearances in the previous season but struggled physically, losing 53% of his duels. Despite this, Celtic saw potential and hoped he could “emulate” Tierney’s success in the left-back position during the 2019/20 campaign.
In his first season at Celtic, Bolingoli made 28 appearances across all competitions, including 14 in the Premiership, providing two assists. However, a knee injury limited his time on the pitch. Unfortunately, he struggled to establish himself at the club and eventually fell behind Greg Taylor in the pecking order.
Bolingoli’s time at Celtic took a significant downturn in 2020, following a major breach of quarantine rules. Ahead of a match against Kilmarnock early in the 2020/21 season, he traveled to Spain but failed to observe the required 14-day isolation period upon his return. He kept the trip under wraps and continued training and playing with the team, leading to the suspension of Celtic’s next two matches once the situation came to light.
Manager Neil Lennon expressed his disappointment, describing the club as feeling “bitterly” let down by Bolingoli’s “selfish” actions, which left Celtic “livid” over the consequences of his breach.
| Boli Bolingoli’s declining value | |
|---|---|
| Date | Market value |
| July 2019 | £2.9m |
| April 2020 | £2m |
| May 2021 | £1.8m |
| December 2021 | £1.2m |
| November 2022 | £752k |
| December 2023 – present | £418k |
| Valuations via Transfermarkt | |
After his quarantine breach, Boli Bolingoli was loaned to Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey, where he made 18 appearances. He briefly returned to Celtic for the 2021/22 season, playing just two matches under manager Ange Postecoglou, before being loaned out again, this time to Russian club UFA.
In the summer of 2022, Bolingoli moved to KV Mechelen for an undisclosed fee, by which point his market value had dropped by over £2 million. Currently, he plays for Standard Liège at the age of 29, with a market value of just £418,000.
Ultimately, Bolingoli could not replicate Kieran Tierney’s success at Celtic. His misstep in the summer of 2020 damaged his standing with the club, making the £3 million transfer fee and the £780,000 he earned in his first year a costly disappointment for Celtic.
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