Arsenal’s forgotten defender Kieran Tierney could finally be set for a move away from the Emirates Stadium having steadily fallen down the pecking order in the last two seasons. Having spent last season on loan with Real Sociedad, the Scottish defender is now back at his parent club but has struggled a lot for game time.
As per reports, the Gunners will allow Tierney to leave the club next summer when his deal expires as they decided not to activate a one-year extension clause in his deal. In doing so, the club could have had the player in the squad for another season, or could demand a transfer fee for the player.
The report also adds that Arsenal had a deadline before which they could activate the aforementioned clause, which has now passed. The club has made Kieran Tierney and his camp aware about the situation, as they can begin searching for clubs abroad starting January 1 with the idea of signing a pre-contract agreement abroad.
A few clubs in England, as well as former club Celtic are interested in the defender’s services and it remains to be seen how this pans out.
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Kieran Tierney’s Arsenal career so far
Tierney arrived at Arsenal from Scottish giants Celtic in a deal worth a reported £25 million back in 2019, and was former manager Unai Emery’s signing. He featured regularly in the team for that season and the following one. However, it soon became clear under Arteta that the system would change and would not leave a spot for Tierney to fill.
The 27-year-old has still managed 125 appearances for the Gunners, with the 125th game coming against Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup quarters. He has scored five goals and provided 13 assists as well, but injuries have sidelined him for a considerable amount of time.
While this is not the ending he deserved, Tierney would be better off playing regularly in a team that can accommodate him in their starting XI, rather than warming the bench at Arsenal, and could be on his way out.
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