SCOTTISH STARS CAN BE QUALITY BUYS
DESPITE the fact that Manchester City won their appeal against UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations last week, one basic fact remains unaltered.
Namely, the fact that they possess one of the most lavishly assembled squads in world football. All across the pitch in every department, the City empire cost a small fortune to build.
Since taking charge in 2016, Pep Guardiola has spent north of £300million — and that’s on defenders alone. The transfer fees have been eye-watering.
I couldn’t help but think of this as I watched them lose 2-0 to Arsenal at Wembley in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday.
City’s two full-backs on the night were Kyle Walker, who was signed for £55m from Spurs, and Benjamin Mendy, the Frenchman who cost £52m from Monaco.
Both players were signed in the summer of 2017 at the same time Liverpool were paying Hull City peanuts — just £8m — for the services of Andy Robertson. The rest, as they say, is history.
Sandwiched in between Walker and Mendy was Aymeric Laporte, the centre-back who cost City £57m from Athletic Bilbao back in January 2018.
There’s three players straight away who between them cost well in excess of £150m — yet it was Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney who was head and shoulders above all three of them on Saturday night.
Granted, he was playing slightly out of position as a left-sided centre-half in Mikel Arteta’s new-look 3-4-3 system, but I’d still take him all day long ahead of Mendy at left-back.
That versatility is actually a key part of Tierney’s make-up. The ability to play all across the defence is something which I feel makes him a slightly more rounded player than Robertson.
What stood out to me more than anything, though, is the fact that Arsenal have snapped up a bargain in the former Celtic man.
At just £25m, Tierney looks an absolute steal compared to the fees paid for other defenders in the English Premier League.
For years now, there’s been all sorts of cheap comments and snide remarks from down south about how Scottish football is apparently a pub league.
It’s complete and utter nonsense. The talent factory in the SPFL is alive and kicking — and Tierney is just the latest example to move away and make a success of himself.
What about the others? Well, Robertson is obviously another prime example. The same applies to his Liverpool team-mate Virgil van Dijk.
After Hull and Southampton took a chance on them, they’ve since gone on to establish themselves as the best left-back and best centre-half in Europe.
There’s a reluctance and a snobbishness when it comes to how others perceive Scottish football and I honestly can’t really get my head around it.
Beyond Van Dijk and Robertson, you’ve got John McGinn. He’s been outstanding for Villa from the minute he walked through the door back in 2018.
Stuart Armstrong has now established himself as a key player for a Southampton team who have been flying recently and he scored at Old Trafford in a 2-2 draw last week. John Fleck has been the heartbeat of Sheffield United’s midfield all season as they continue to defy the expectations and challenge for Europe.
It just makes you wonder who might be next? Odsonne Edouard will inevitably be top of the list for any scouts having a look at the Scottish Premiership.
Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Ryan Christie wouldn’t be far behind. There’s also been interest in Kris Ajer from AC Milan, and Alfredo Morelos would attract bigger clubs if he could keep his nose clean.
In my eyes, Tierney’s a future Arsenal captain. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. As well as being an excellent footballer, he’s also a born leader.
Modest and humble, but with a ruthless desire burning through every bone in his body, he has already started providing leadership to the Gunners’ defence.
It’s no wonder Arsenal fans are raving about him.
They’re now starting to see just what a terrific player they’ve got on their hands.
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw Tierney walk into Bramall Lane for an FA Cup tie against Sheffield United a couple of weeks ago.
With his team-mates clutching their Gucci man-bags and God knows what else, the footage went viral of Tierney just casually strolling in holding his gear in a plastic Tesco bag.
It was so typical of the boy. He’s genuine salt of the earth and always has been from the minute I first met him at Celtic years ago.
If you looked inside that Tesco bag, then you’d possibly find some of the Premier League’s most revered wingers who’ve spent the 90 minutes tucked in the pocket of the Scotland star.
Since the restart, Tierney has faced City’s Riyad Mahrez twice, Wolves flyer Adama Traore, and Liverpool’s main man Mo Salah. But he has excelled on each occasion, particularly over the past week.
Inside the space of just a few days, Arsenal have beaten the two best teams in the country as the Arteta revolution gathers pace — and Tierney has been a key player in doing so.
English clubs must now realise that, rather than spending top dollar on bang-average players from abroad, they’d get far more bang for their buck if they looked a little closer to home…