Celtic have a tough decision to make.
Celtic academy product Kieran Tierney is set to leave Arsenal this summer.
His contract expires at the end of the season, and he’s been heavily linked to a move to The Bhoys.
Many consider it an easy choice to bring him back after he won five league titles with Celtic.
However, Kieran Tierney’s replacement, Greg Taylor, has been a consistent performer.
Signed from Kilmarnock in 2019, Taylor has locked down the left-back position since Tierney’s departure.
He has been an essential part of the Hoops’ success in that time.
Many would predict the end of Taylor’s Celtic career if Tierney returned.
Despite the excitement from many of Celtic’s supporters over the possible return of one of their own, Brendan Rodgers has made his opinion clear on the matter.
After being asked recently in a post-match press conference about Celtic fans chanting Tierney’s name, the Northern Irishman gave a firm reply.
Rodgers described it as “disrespectful” to Celtic’s current left-back Greg Taylor.
He highlighted the contributions the Scottish international has made to Celtic over the past several seasons.
Yet, is this just excellent man-management from Rodgers, or does it give us insight into his intentions in the market?
This scout report will analyse Greg Taylor and Kieran Tierney to discover which player best suits Celtic.
The report will focus on the player’s attributes and highlight which option makes the most logistical sense from a recruitment standpoint for Celtic.
Is Kieran Tierney Worth it?
Tierney has put in some remarkable performances for Arsenal over the past five years.
He was one of the standout players during seasons when Arsenal struggled after the departure of Arsène Wenger.
He’s also been invaluable for Scotland, picking up 46 caps and playing at two major tournaments.
Tierney would be deemed the best player in the Scottish Premiership with his arrival at Celtic.
Yet why would a player of his calibre move to a level he’s clearly above?
Well, clubs at a higher level may no longer be willing to take a risk on Tierney.
Since joining Arsenal, he’s been injured for a total of 552 days.
These long-term muscle injuries are definitely a huge concern.
Celtic would more than likely need to make Tierney their highest earner to attract him to the club.
Paying substantial wages to players who could miss a large proportion of the season is a huge risk.
Greg Taylor Reliability
Greg Taylor has consistently played over 30 every full season for Celtic.
In both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 season he’s played over 40 games.
Taylor’s availability is a huge asset when you compare him with Tierney.
He’s only had a couple of significant injuries at his time with Celtic.
Both were hamstring injuries, with the longest seeing him miss being just over three weeks of action.
Greg Taylor Positioning
Taylor’s being financially less of a burden on the club and providing dependability makes him a more attractive option to the key decision-makers at Parkhead.
Although many forget the key role he plays for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Rodgers’ tactical set-up utilises Taylor as an inverted full-back.
This is a key part of Celtic’s desire to play the ball through the thirds.
Taylor provides an option for Celtic’s central defenders to find as they seek to progress play.
Here, Taylor takes up the position of a number 6.
This allows Trusty to play the ball forward into his feet.
Taylor is responsible for picking up the ball in front of the opposition’s midfield.
This provides an opportunity for Celtic’s midfielders to take up dangerous positions between the lines.
This puts immense doubt in where Tierney would fit in Celtic’s attacking phase.
A key reason that the full-back has fallen out of favour at the Emirates is due to his lack of trust Mikel Arteta has had in him to fulfil the role of the inverted full-back.
Players like Zinchenko, Tomiyasu, Kiwior and Calafiori have been brought in to play this specific position.
Greg Taylor Vs Kieran Tierney Heatmap
When you compare Taylor and Tierney’s heat maps, this is evident.
Taylor has far more actions in the middle of the pitch.
Tierney provides width and utilises his strengths through doing so.
Kieran Tierney Vs Greg Taylor Attacking Output
The difference in role means both players have different offensive characteristics.
Tierney is known for his explosive runs with the ball, gliding by opponents out wide.
Where Taylor only averages 0.66 dribbles and 0.89 progressive runs per 90, Tierney averaged 1.73 dribbles and 0.97 progressive runs when on loan at Real Sociedad last season.
Tierney picks up the ball in the opposition’s half in this situation.
He changes pace brilliantly to go by the opposition’s full-back.
This ability to drive by opponents and get into the final third has given Tierney the platform to deliver crosses into the area.
This is another metric he has exceeded Taylor.
Greg Taylor Vs Kieran Tierney Cross Map
Tierney has a significantly better crossing accuracy than Taylor, proving his quality when creating opportunities in wide areas.
Here, Tierney delivers an unbelievably dangerous cross.
He puts the ball in the corridor of uncertainty, allowing a teammate to get on the end of his cross and guide the ball into the net.
However, these statistics play into the hands of an attacking full-back who’s responsible for providing his side’s width.
Taylor’s ability is creating in central areas.
Taylor has six assists already this season.
That’s more than the two Tierney registered last season.
This perfectly displays Taylor’s abilities.
Coming inside, Taylor is unmarked.
After receiving the ball, he plays a brilliant chipped ball over the top of the opposition’s defence.
This allows his teammate to get in behind the backline and finish coolly past the goalkeeper.
Despite Taylor’s efficiency in central areas, you can’t disregard Tierney’s ability on the ball in the middle of the park.
When Arteta first introduced the inverted full-back in the 2022/23 season, Tierney’s forward passing stats showed he averaged 18 forward passes per 90 minutes and was 73% accurate.
This is similar to Taylor’s forward passing statistics this season.
Where he averages 20 forward passes with a success rate of 72.4%.
As much as Tierney may not be deemed by his current manager to have the required ability to play as an inverted full-back for a top Premier League side, this doesn’t limit his ability to do so at a lower level.
Defensive Stability
Tierney clearly excels when you compare the defensive metrics of both players.
Both players have a success rate of 69% when it comes to defensive duels won.
However, Tierney proves his worth across several other areas.
He averages 4.4 interceptions per 90 and has won a remarkable 65% of his loose ball duels.
This example shows off Tierney’s qualities perfectly.
As the ball travels towards his direct opponent, he quickly closes him down.
The player he presses takes a heavy first touch.
This allows Tierney to get his body before his opponent and win the ball cleanly.
Comparatively, Taylor hasn’t performed at the same level as Tierney across the same statistics.
He averages 3.4 interceptions per 90 and wins only 45% of his loose ball duels.
Tierney also has performed better in winning the ball in the air, winning 44% of his aerial duels compared to Taylor’s 38%.
Here, as a long ball is played forward, Taylor is out-jumped, and the opposition’ forward flicks the ball on to start an attack.
Again, it has to be reiterated that Tierney has performed better in several metrics despite playing in a stronger division.
This only highlights further the level he could perform at if he rejoined Celtic.
Conclusion
There are pros and cons for either player.
Both are at a critical stage in their career.
Tierney and Taylor are both 27, and their next contract is likely to be their last substantial financial return.
The talk of Tierney’s return may entice Taylor to explore other options where he could potentially earn more than he could at Celtic.
Tierney may hold out for a team that’s willing to take a chance on him in one of Europe’s top divisions.
The financial burden that a high-earning, injury-prone player could bring may cause Celtic to cool its’ interest in the Arsenal man.
Taylor has also proven that his qualities suit the role of the inverted full-back.
Tierney could unquestionably play this role for Celtic.
Yet, it would unquestionably be a poor utilisation of his strengths.
Despite this dilemma, Rodgers and Celtic fans will unlikely feel aggrieved having the quality of either Tierney or Taylor line up at Celtic Park next season.
