Forgotten Man City flop replaces popular Arsenal star - Romano

Tom Weber

Updated: 8 Jun 2024 18:46 BST
4 min read

Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Real Sociedad are set to replace Kieran Tierney with Sergio Gomez, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The Spanish club loaned Arsenal star Tierney last summer after the Scot was deemed surplus to requirements by Mikel Arteta. However, the 27-year-old failed to overcome his persistent injury issues and did not have much of an impact in San Sebastian.

Real Sociedad won't look to make his stay in the Basque Country permanent and Tierney will return to north London, albeit likely only for a short time. Speaking to The Athletic in early May, Tierney admitted that it is entirely possible that he has played his final game for the Gunners.

“Look at the squad depth in that position now. They have [Oleksandr] Zinchenko, [Jurrien] Timber, [Takehiro] Tomiyasu, [Jakub] Kiwior. Four players can play there. So if I go back and it’s the same as before then I’m not silly, I know the chances are I’ll be leaving. But you never know in football."

Tierney's future remains open, though links to Aston Villa have never gone away since first reported by FootballTransfers in November of last year. Unai Emery is keen to link up with the man he brought to Arsenal again this summer.

Man City flop as replacement

As for Real Sociedad, they are looking to replace Tierney with forgotten Man City left-back Sergio Gomez, according to Fabrizio Romano. The La Masia product is keen to leave Manchester this summer, having barely featured since joining from Anderlecht in 2022.

The former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund talent made just six Premier League appearances in the bygone season, playing a grand total of 47 minutes. In fact, he featured more in the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup than in league play.

The Italian transfer expert did not mention a valuation or specific fee, only that initial talks over a move are currently taking place. A deal is at an early stage, but Gomez appears open to the move.