Kieran Tierney could leave Arsenal in the summer if the right offer came in, according to a report, but the Gunners wouldn’t force him out.
Kieran Tierney has been a fan favourite at Arsenal since his arrival in 2019, and he’s featured regularly again this season, making 23 appearances in all competitions.
But the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko has certainly changed things for the Scottish international in north London.
Though he’s started all eight Arsenal matches in the Europa League, League Cup, and FA Cup this campaign, Tierney has only made the Premier League starting lineup on four occasions, all of which were due to injuries to Zinchenko.
Even when Zinchenko was absent in October, Mikel Arteta preferred to use Takehiro Tomiyasu at left-back, further limiting Tierney’s minutes.
James Benge now claims that there’s an increasing belief that Tierney may leave Arsenal in the summer transfer market.
“There’s a growing expectation at Arsenal right now that Kieran Tierney could move in the summer,” Benge told the House of Champions podcast.
“I don’t think Arsenal would push him out the exit door. But now he’s not a guaranteed starter, I think if the right offer came in, all parties are thinking this is something that might happen – not guaranteed.”
There’s an extent to which this ties in with Arsenal’s interest in young right-back Ivan Fresneda.
If Arsenal sign Fresneda (and again, that’s not guaranteed), then the player will initially go back to Real Valladolid on loan.
But come next season, Fresneda could join Arteta’s squad as an alternative to Ben White, freeing up Tomiyasu to play on the left more often, further reducing any reliance on Tierney.
Clearly, this isn’t a decision that has been made yet. Arsenal haven’t signed Fresneda or received an offer for Tierney, and the 25-year-old is still on a long-term contract until 2026.
If a big bid for Tierney comes in and Arsenal secure a deal for Fresneda, that would be when the club start to consider an exit more seriously. Until then, it’s just a possibility.