Over for Tierney: Arsenal line up Spanish starlet to compete with Zinchenko

Stuart Telford

• 10 Oct 2023 05:02 CDT
• 3 min read

Kieran Tierney looks unlikely to play for Arsenal again with the club lining up Miguel Gutierrez to compete with Oleksandr Zinchenko for a place at left-back.

Tierney was farmed out on loan to Real Sociedad this summer, and after a positive start in San Sebastian suffered a hamstring injury which is set to keep him sidelined for a few months.

The Scot's chances of displacing Zinchenko at left-back for Arsenal, whether or not he impressed in Spain, already looked slim, after only starting six Premier League games last season.

READ: 'Made of glass' - Arsenal star's injury casts doubt on transfer decision

But Arsenal's pursuit of a new Zinchenko understudy looks to be the final nail in the coffin of Tierney's Gunners career.

"Arsenal are looking for a young talent to fill the left-back position and compete for a starting spot alongside Zinchenko," reports Fichajes' Javier Parra Pena. "One of the names at the top of their list is the Spaniard Miguel Gutierrez."

Arsenal's clear run at Gutierrez

Real Madrid sold Gutierrez to Girona for just €4 million last summer, but he has an ETV of €18m per FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm and has already impressed with his new employers with two goals and five assists in the time since.

READ: Who is Miguel Gutierrez? The former Madrid wonderkid watched by Spurs, Arsenal and Juventus

Real still pay a proportion of Gutierrez's salary and have first refusal should he leave, but they are well-stocked at left-back with Fran Garcia and Ferland Mendy, while Eduardo Camavinga and David Alaba are both also able to play there.

They are also understood to be monitoring Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies as a long-term solution in the position.

Gutierrez could be Arsenal's to lose, while Tierney's future will have to be settled in due course.

Sociedad are unlikely to make his loan permanent having been unable to fund a full transfer this summer, while Manchester City and Newcastle, previously credited with an interest, have since signed Josko Gvardiol and Lewis Hall.