Tuesday 16 July 2019 16:28, UK
Celtic manager Neil Lennon says Kieran Tierney is "a far more experienced and rounded full-back" than Aaron Wan-Bissaka and confirms the club have rejected a second bid from Arsenal.
Arsenal came in for the Scotland left-back with a £15m bid at the end of June, but the offer was turned down.
In early July, the 21-year-old Crystal Palace right-back Wan-Bissaka was sold to Manchester United for £50m, and Lennon feels that Arsenal's most recent bid for Tierney - believed to be in the region of £25m - will not force Celtic into a deal.
He said: "We can't do anything about what clubs do in England.
"£50m for Wan-Bissaka is a lot of money and we feel that Kieran is a far more experienced and rounded full-back at this juncture in his career.
"He's an asset for us and we do have a value for the player and we rate the player very highly.
"So disrespectful is the wrong word but we're certainly not going to be pushed over in any negotiations and we're in a very strong position with regard to a number of our assets in the team.
Lennon said that although Tierney may be the subject of interest, "the club's valuation of Kieran has not been met and until then we don't have a discussion to make.
"I don't know what Arsenal's financial state is. I know what ours is and we are quite comfortable with the situation at the moment.
"There has been a second bid, the bid has been rejected and it's as you were."
Tierney, who is under contract until 2023, was restricted to 21 league appearances for Celtic due to a hernia problem last season and is currently recovering from surgery.
Lennon added: "He’s a great player and a great talent. He’s just 22-years-old and has so much more to give to the game.
"It doesn’t surprise me that there are potential suitors. It’s a compliment for all the work he’s done over the years.
"He’s got a long-term contract and we don’t want him to go."
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