Arsenal face transfer headache over forgotten star's asking price

Tom Weber

11 Mar 2024 12:11 CDT
3 min read

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Kieran Tierney's future is up in the air and it is looking increasingly clear that he will return to Arsenal in the summer, according to Spanish media.

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The Scotland international is having a tricky season on loan at Real Sociedad. After losing his place in Mikel Arteta's Arsenal squad last term, the left-back decided to head to the Basque Country to join up with Champions League participants Erreala.

However, injuries have massively disrupted his time in San Sebastian, which is becoming a worrying theme for Tierney. Since joining Arsenal in 2019, the 26-year-old has missed 63 club games due to fitness issues, including 15 this season.

The defender has unsurprisingly been a peripheral figure at Real Sociedad, being restricted to just 19 appearances in all competitions and less than 1000 minutes in LaLiga. Due to his repeated issues, Tierney's stocks have tanked, with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) more than halving since the summer of 2022.

Real unwilling to pay asking price

Ahead of the summer transfer window, Arsenal are reportedly asking for a fee just below €25 million, which is in line with his current ETV of €22.6m. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Real Sociedad have no intention of breaking their transfer record - which currently stands at €20m - on an injury-prone left-back.

This means that Tierney will return to Arsenal in the summer, though it is unlikely that the Gunners will want to keep him around. A potential issue could therefore arise if more sides agree with Erreala's assessment that the north London club's asking price is excessive.

It is unclear what the future will hold for Tierney, but his unfortunate fitness problems mean that he is increasingly becoming an unattractive player despite still only being 26. The current situation is certainly a far cry from last year, when there was talk of him potentially joining Man City.