Injury-hit Arsenal man 'expected to leave' in the summer with £20m price tag set

Arsenal are planning to sell forgotten defender Kieran Tierney in the summer transfer window, due to the club’s need to ‘tighten up the squad’.

That’s according to reports from GiveMeSport which suggest that the 41-time Scottish international has already played his last game for the North London giants.

Tierney arrived at Arsenal from Celtic in the summer of 2019 for a fee of around £25m. The full back arrived with a great deal of excitement after establishing himself as one of the leading defenders in the Premiership for his boyhood club where he lifted four league titles, two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups. He had proven himself as a versatile fullback at both sides and was praised for his pace and energy to drive forward and create chances.

The defender initially struggled with injuries in his first season, but gradually established himself as a key player for several months after the Covid-19 pandemic. He was included in the starting lineup for the FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea and also featured heavily at the start of the following season as the Gunners lifted the Community Shield.

His form in his second season earned him a long term contract with the Gunners, but a season ending-injury in March 2022 hampered his progress and he has been unable to win his place back in the starting lineup in the Premier League, and was often restricted to Europa League and domestic cup outings.

The 26-year-old was made surplus to requirements in the last summer transfer window and although he was heavily linked with a loan move to both Newcastle and former club Celtic, he ultimately completed a loan switch to La Liga side Real Sociedad.

Tierney has continued to struggle for game time in the Basque Country. After an initial strong start, his progress was halted by two serious hamstring injuries, limiting him to just 13 league appearances and two in the Champions League.

The former Hoops favourite has two years remaining on his existing contract at the Emirates Stadium, and while the Scottish champions are big admirers of their former captain, a move back to Parkhead currently appears unlikely due to Arsenal’s reported £20m asking price.

Tierney is blessed with great pace and crossing ability, whilst also having the versatility to cover various positions across the defence. As of yet it is unclear where his future lies, but it appears unlikely to be in North London.