Tottenham move ahead of Manchester United in race for new left-back

Tottenham have moved to the front of a competitive queue for the signature of Celtic defender Kieran Tierney, reports ESPN.

Tierney only signed a new six-year deal with Celtic at the start of the week but the Scottish champions will do well to keep the highly rated left-back beyond the end of the season.

The 20-year-old has emerged as one of the best young talents in Britain and turned in an outstanding performance in Celtic’s hard-fought 2-1 defeat at home to Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.

Manchester United have long been linked with a move for Tierney as Jose Mourinho’s struggles at left-back continue, but Tottenham are reportedly now ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race for his signature.

Tierney is not looking to leave Celtic at the first opportunity and is happy to continue his development under Brendan Rodgers, but it seems only a matter of time before he makes the transition to one of England’s best teams.

With Danny Rose’s future at Tottenham still uncertain, Mauricio Pochettino is rightly considering his options, while a reunion with United left-back Luke Shaw is also on the cards.

Of Celtic players that have made more than one appearance in the Champions League group phase this season, Tierney has garnered the highest rating (6.92).