Kieran Tierney’s five-year long stint with Arsenal could be coming to a gradual end this January. As per reports, the Scotsman’s agents were in London this week to negotiate a release for their player, who has now entered the final six months of his deal with the Gunners. The report states that Tierney’s agents CAA Stellar want the player to be released from the remainder of the contract, with the club demanding a small fee for this to happen.
Tierney came through the ranks at Celtic between 2005-15, before being promoted to their first team in 2015. He established himself as a starter at the club, and by 2019, he was one of the most sought after defenders in Europe. He joined Arsenal for a reported £25 million fee that year, becoming an integral part of the first team under Unai Emery. However, later that year, Emery was sacked and replaced by Mikel Arteta, with the club ready for a tactical change.
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This change initially welcomed Tierney with open arms, but as Arteta pivoted towards a possession-based style, it did not suit the Scotsman and he fell out of favor at the club. A loan spell to Real Sociedad in the 2023/24 season helped his cause, but his time in north London seems to have come to an end.
What next for Kieran Tierney?
Still only 27, Tierney has a decent few years of football left in him. However, the player is more of a traditional left-back and plays on the overlap rather than the underlapping or inverting style predominant currently. Finding a team that suits his abilities would be a challenge, with Arsenal also not wanting to get the shorter end of the stick in this deal.
Reports of a return to boyhood club Celtic have emerged and seem the likeliest outcome. The player left his former club without much of a farewell or a chance to give back, and he could return to Glasgow to carry out unfinished business with the club. It remains to be seen whether the Gunners agree to terminate the remainder of his existing deal.
