Kieran Tierney: Arsenal exit is inevitable

FT Desk

• 3 Nov 2022 08:30 GMT
• 3 min read

Kieran Tierney's future at Arsenal looks bleak with Oleksandr Zinchenko signed from Manchester City and players playing out of position starting ahead of him at left-back in recent weeks.

Tierney was a £25 million (€29m) signing from Celtic in August 2019 - representing the Scottish club's record sale - and he has been first-choice in his position over the last two seasons at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta.

But injury problems are beginning to mount for the Isle of Man-born Scotsman, and both Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu - a right-back by trade - have started more games than him in the Premier League this season. Arteta has reportedly lost patience.

READ: Tierney a long-term Man City target

"The Spaniard has sold or loaned out virtually every player signed by his predecessor [Unai Emery]," report the Telegraph. "…including club record [signing] Nicolas Pepe, along with high-profile arrivals Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno, David Luiz and Matteo Guendouzi.

"Kieran Tierney is the last man standing from Emery's arrivals and it looks inevitable that the Scotland international will attract interest from clubs as he is currently starting only in Europa League games and Cedric Soares was brought on at left-back ahead of him against Nottingham Forest at the weekend."

Tierney did then enter the fray in place of William Saliba in the Gunners' 5-0 win over Forest, 13 minutes after Soares had replaced Tomiyasu, but it now seems the 25-year-old could be better served by looking for pastures new.

READ: 'Offers are coming' for Arsenal and Chelsea target

Where could Tierney go?

Zinchenko's former club Man City were linked with a £50m (€58m) move in the summer when Zinchenko went the other way, and they could still use a natural left-back to free up Joao Cancelo to play on his favoured right-hand side.

Tierney also recently refused to rule out a return to boyhood club Celtic, describing his decision to leave as "heart-breaking," but he will surely play for a club of City's financial standing or similar before any return home at a later date.