Newcastle United’s successful qualification to the Champions League has cemented Kieran Tierney as a key summer target, according to a report.

The i newspaper report that Newcastle United had put together three distinct transfer plans for the summer – one without European football, one with Europa League/Conference League, and one with Champions League football.

Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is understood to feature highly on the third list, and Newcastle have now confirmed their qualification to next season’s Champions League.

As a result, Tierney is expected to be one of Eddie Howe’s top targets in the upcoming window.

It’s certainly not breaking news that Newcastle are interested in Tierney, with reports of their pursuit steadily growing since the winter window.

But now that Newcastle have secured their status as a Champions League club, a move for Tierney is seemingly set to become a more concrete possibility.

Back in March, the Evening Standard reported that Tierney was open to a move to Newcastle this summer, assuming his game-time with Arsenal didn’t improve before then.

At the time, Arsenal hadn’t decided whether to sell, and they had rejected interest from Leicester City in the January transfer window.

But with Tierney still playing a bit-part role at Arsenal and Newcastle ending the season well, you’d imagine the 25-year-old will still be open to a move and the Gunners will consider facilitating it.

The main question now is whether the two clubs can reach an agreement on the price of such a deal. The Telegraph previously suggested the Gunners would want more than £30m.

His age, his contract to 2026, and Newcastle’s status as a Champions League rival should encourage Arsenal not to go any lower than that.

Though the defender hasn’t necessarily been a starter for Arsenal this season, Tierney is still a key part of the squad, making 35 appearances in all competitions.

There’s no doubt Oleksandr Zinchenko is the first-choice left-back at the moment, limiting Tierney to just six Premier League starts.

But perhaps the most damning moment for Tierney’s Arsenal career came against Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

Mikel Arteta opted to switch up his system in Zinchenko’s injury absence, bringing in Jakub Kiwior at left-back, moving Ben White to centre-back, and playing Thomas Partey at right-back, rather than just slotting Tierney in.

It remains to be seen whether the Scotland international will return to the Arsenal lineup against Wolves on Sunday. If he does, it’s looking increasingly likely that will be his last game for the Gunners.