Mikel Arteta Ready to Let Kieran Tierney Leave Arsenal to Join Rival
Key Highlights :
Arsenal are prepared to let one of their players depart the Emirates Stadium to a rival club, as Mikel Arteta changes his mind on the player's value to the Gunners. Kieran Tierney, who moved to Arsenal for £25 million in 2019, is the subject of a loan move to Newcastle United, with the Gunners preferring to sell to their rivals than strengthen them.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and now Jurrien Timber are all available as options at left-back for Mikel Arteta, and with 33 senior stars in his current squad, the Gunners boss could opt to sell Tierney as a potential backup. It would mark a change of heart with Arteta's plans, since the Basque boss has previously stated that the Isle of Man-born defender is still of value to him.
"He is, he is in our plans," Arteta said. "Every time he's played in pre-season, he's been really good. This is why we want to create competition in the team, raise the level of each individual and that's going to be a huge benefit for the team to get to another level."
Should Tierney move, it would be a significant blow to Arsenal, who have seen the Scotsman as a key figure at the Emirates Stadium, despite injuries hindering his availability. Tierney's value is estimated at €25 million, and while Arsenal would prefer to sell to Newcastle, it would still be strengthening a title rival, following the Toon's 5-1 smashing of West Ham on the opening weekend of the season.
The Gunners began their season with a 2-1 win over Fulham, but looked far from comfortable in the closing stages of the game after the Reds came back into the game via a Taiwo Awoniyi goal on the break. Mikel Arteta's decision to potentially let Kieran Tierney leave the Emirates Stadium to a rival could be a sign of his intent to restructure the squad and create competition. It could also be a sign of the Spaniard's ambition to create a team capable of challenging for the Premier League title.
