Unwanted Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney has made clear which club he would like to join next after being told he has no future at Emirates Stadium, though his chances of sealing a dream move hang in the balance.
TEAM-talk has revealed already that Tierney is no longer part of Mike Arteta’s future plans, having spent last season on loan at Spanish club Real Sociedad, where he played 20 league games, registering two assists but scoring no goals. Sources have said Aston Villa, who reached the Champions League for the first time under Tierney’s former Gunners boss Unai Emery, are among those keen.
the 27-year-old is keen to return to Celtic, where he began his career. That move would see him reunite with manager Brendan Rodgers, under whom he won a double treble before making the £25m move to North London in 2019, after the Ulsterman returned to the club last summer following his sacking by Leicester City.
Injuries have played a huge role in Tierney’s Arsenal career not reaching the heights expected, though he has still made 124 appearances in five years for the club. The arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City in 2022 forced him down the pecking order and now it appears his future lies elsewhere.
Arteta is planning a wider cull of his Arsenal squad with the likes of midfielder Thomas Partey and striker Eddie Nketiah also said to be available for a transfer, with Italian club Juventus previously interested in a move for the former Atletico Madrid midfielder.
There is plenty of evidence that Arteta is ready to get ruthless this summer as he looks to usurp his former club City as Premier League champions. In the last two seasons, City have beaten them to the title towards the end of the season, with Arsenal taking the race to the final day last term.
Tierney is currently focusing on Scotland’s Euro 2024 campaign, which gets underway against hosts Germany in Munich next Friday.
