Celtic are lining up Brentford defender Rico Henry as a replacement for Kieran Tierney if he leaves for Arsenal, according to The Sun.

The Gunners have reportedly been locked in transfer negotiations regarding Tierney throughout the summer, but it is understood Celtic have a back-up plan if Arsenal decide to eventually pay out for the full-back.

Neil Lennon's side are reportedly keen on landing Brentford full-back Henry, despite the fact his season was hampered by injuries last term to restrict him to just 14 league appearances.

However, the 22-year-old now seems to be featuring prominently in Thomas Frank's plans following a full pre-season, and he played the 90 minutes as the Bees slipped to defeat against Birmingham City on the opening day.

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It is understood Brentford would want £7million for the services of Henry, who has played been in the club's first-team set-up since joining from Walsall in 2016.

The verdict

This would be a decent replacement for Tierney as Henry's relative youth means he still has room to develop, and he has already shown promising signs at Brentford.

I also don't think it would be too difficult to convince Henry to join the Scottish giants, as it could well mean a step up in ages as well as the chance to play Champions League football.

However, this interest should not lead to supporters jumping to the conclusion that Tierney is on his way as Celtic are bound to make a contingency plan in the event of his departure.

As for Brentford, Henry's potential move could be the latest departure in Brentford's incredibly high turnover of players this summer. They have made some impressive additions, but the number of exits mean it could take a while for Frank's new-look side to gel.