West Ham were in the mix to sign Kieran Tierney from Arsenal but a deal reportedly fell through due to the player’s desire to join a different club.

Hammers News claims that the Irons had “agreed a deal in principle” to buy the Scottish international but the defender is holding out for a move to his old team Celtic.

Brentford and Leicester City were also said to have made bids for Tierney, along with West Ham. However, it seems the left-back was not open to remaining in the Premier League.

Arsenal were hoping to raise some funds from Tierney’s sale this month, leading to West Ham making an approach, but the player has remained steadfast in the team he wants to join.

With Celtic unlikely to pay a fee for the fullback, it is expected that he will now sign a pre-contract agreement with the Scottish champions ahead of a move on a free transfer when his current deal with the Gunners expires in July.

Signing a new left-back is not among West Ham’s priorities

The approach for Tierney was likely an opportunistic one, based on his availability, but fans shouldn’t expect the club to actively pursue another fullback in January.

With limited funds for transfers, technical director Tim Steidten is set to focus his efforts on recruiting a new No.9, finding another centre-back and potentially bringing in a midfielder on loan.

Which players will be targeted by the club in January?

In terms of strikers, Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lyon’s Georges Mikautadze have all been linked.

When it comes to centre-halves, AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori is among the leading candidates, while the midfield department could be strengthened by the arrival of Chelsea’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carney Chukwuemeka or potentially Manchester City’s James McAtee.

Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here