Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta answers reports linking Kieran Tierney with Newcastle switch
Mikel Arteta has not dismissed the possibility that Kieran Tierney could leave Arsenal during the upcoming summer transfer window, as the left-back has dropped in priority within the team.
Despite being 25 years old, Tierney has only started four games in the Premier League this season, and has been substituted in on 12 occasions.
Arteta has been favoring Oleksandr Zinchenko over Kieran Tierney since the two were reunited last year, causing Tierney to fall out of favor with the Arsenal manager.
As the team currently sits at the top of the Premier League table and aims to win its first league title since 2004, Arteta has been hesitant to make changes to the starting lineup.
Because of Tierney’s limited playing time, there have been rumors that he may leave the Emirates at the end of the season.
According to reports, Newcastle is reportedly monitoring Kieran Tierney’s situation and considering a £30million bid for the Scottish international.
During a pre-match press conference before Arsenal’s home game against Everton, which will be broadcast on talkSPORT, Arteta was asked about Tierney’s future, to which he replied, “I don’t know, I’m not thinking about that.”
“I’m thinking about what’s best for the team and the players who earn the right to play minutes, that they all deserve.
“We’re going to try and do that in the next couple of games.”
Kieran Tierney has not been a starting player in the Premier League since Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over West Ham on Boxing Day.
In the last six matches, he has only played one minute of league action, which was during a late substitution in the 4-2 win against Aston Villa earlier this month.
It’s likely that Kieran Tierney will return to the starting lineup for Arsenal’s Europa League Round of 16 tie against Sporting Lisbon next month. He started all six of the Gunners’ group stage matches, scoring the winner in the final game against FC Zurich to secure top spot in Group A.
Tierney joined Arsenal from Celtic for £25million in 2019 and has made 112 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals.
He has been praised by Arteta as one of the “most exciting players in the Premier League” and is under contract at the Emirates until 2026 after signing a lucrative long-term deal in 2021.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta answers reports linking Kieran Tierney with Newcastle switch
