Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is reportedly targeting Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney for a summer move, seeking a reunion with the player he brought to the Emirates.

• Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is reportedly keen on signing Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, aiming for a reunion with the player he brought to the Emirates.
• Tierney has struggled for game time this season, managing just five Premier League starts as Mikel Arteta consistently favours Oleksandr Zinchenko in the lineup.
• Aston Villa face competition from Manchester City and Newcastle United, with the latter reportedly preparing a £30 million bid for the Scottish defender.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is reportedly keen to sign Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, hoping to reunite with the player he brought to the Emirates during his time as the Gunners’ boss.

The former Celtic star has struggled for game time this season, with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta favouring Oleksandr Zinchenko in the starting lineup.

As a result, Tierney has managed just five Premier League starts in the current campaign.

The Telegraph report that Aston Villa have now entered the race for Tierney’s signature, with Manchester City and Newcastle United also expressing interest in the 25-year-old Scottish defender.

According to The S*n, Newcastle United are preparing a £30 million bid for Tierney, and sources close to the player believe a move up north is becoming more likely.

Tierney’s limited playing time at Arsenal comes after a serious knee injury prematurely ended his season last year.

In response, Arsenal signed Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, and Arteta has consistently favoured the Ukrainian over Tierney since the start of the season.

Despite being in eighth place in the league, Aston Villa remain in contention for a surprise European place.

Unai Emery acknowledges that failing to qualify for Europe could impact the quality of players the club can attract this summer, but he remains ambitious in his goals for the club.

“Maybe, yes, but it’s not changing the mind I have, the idea we spoke about,” Emery said.

“We want to create a strong structure here, a strong mentality. You have to build a team like a family. If we are in Europe – we will add some possibility to take away trophies, playing more matches, for me it will be fantastic.”

He continued, “If it’s not this year, my idea and objective is the same – try to play in Europe with Aston Villa.

“Not only just to play in Europe but I want to play in the Champions League with Aston Villa.”

Despite losing to Wolves on Saturday, Villa are just one point behind Brighton in seventh place. They have, however, played three games more than the Seagulls at the time of writing.

They are three points behind Tottenham, with both sides having played 35 games.