If you haven’t figured it out by now, Arsenal are probably going to sign a young left-back in the near future.

The Gunners trust Nacho Monreal with the place in the team right now and the Spaniard has been superb this season, earning a new long-term contract earlier in the campaign.

However, the defender is now 30 and doesn’t have many of his best years ahead of him: Arsenal have to start planning for a time when he can’t play 40 games a season.

Kieran Gibbs is the obvious choice but even he is now 26 and turns 27 in September. He hasn’t been able to budge Monreal and even if he is happy to be Monreal’s understudy he can’t be considered a long-term option anymore.

Thanks to that, Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for a young left-sided defender. Bids have reportedly been rejected for Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell and Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon but the aim is clear: sign a teenage left-back.

The latest to be linked with a move to Arsenal is Celtic’s Kieran Tierney. This season has been a breakthrough one for Tierney, the 18-year-old was named the PFA Young Player of the Year in Scotland.

Tierney made his Scotland debut back in March and has played 31 times for Celtic this season. According to the Daily Star, Liverpool and Manchester City – who could both certainly upgrade at left-back – are also watching Tierney, who could be available for £5m.

Whether or not he does end up in north London, it seems very likely the club will sign a young left-back this summer.