Mikel Arteta has said that he is not distracted by the thought of Kieran Tierney potentially wanting to leave Arsenal in the summer. Tierney was described by Arteta as “special” during the player’s first season at the club, but he has found regular minutes in the league hard to come by recently and Fabrizio Romano has said that the Scotsman could leave at the end of this season.
Kieran Tierney Could Be Leaving Arsenal in the Summer
Kieran Tierney could leave Arsenal in the summer. Mikel Arteta: “I don’t know, I’m not thinking about it. I’m thinking about what’s best for the team”. ⚪️🔴 #AFC
“Players have the right to play minutes, which they all deserve, we’re going to try to do that in the next games”. pic.twitter.com/qO5ShTUZfh
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 28, 2023
Tierney Struggling for Minutes
Despite being a key player for Arsenal in previous years, Kieran Tierney has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal this season.
The north London side signed Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City in the summer for £32 million, with Arteta worried about depth at left back and Tierney’s injury history. According to Transfermarkt, the Scotsman has had seven different injuries since he joined Arsenal, two of which have kept him out for more than 90 days.
Read More: ‘That Squad Is More Than Good Enough’ – Former Arsenal Defender Slams Graham Potter and Chelsea
But he has been available to play Arsenal’s last ten league games. Out of those, he has made just one start and that was on Boxing Day against West Ham United. Tierney has instead been limited to playing in cup fixtures, starting against Oxford United and featuring in Arsenal’s loss to Manchester City.
He has not played 90 minutes for Arsenal since scoring against FC Zurich in the Europa League back in November. And in Arsenal’s last five games, Tierney has made just one appearance off the bench, in the fifth minute of added time against Aston Villa.
What Has Arteta Said About Tierney Potentially Leaving Arsenal?
Zinchenko has become Arteta’s preferred option at left back, which is likely to have left Tierney frustrated.
On Tuesday, Fabrizio Romano tweeted that Kieran Tierney could be leaving Arsenal in the summer. But Arteta addressed some of the complaints that players on the fringes, like Tierney, might have over their playing time in his press conference that same day.
Read More: 16-Year-Old ‘Fantastic’ Forward Confirms Move to Manchester United
“I don’t know, I’m not thinking about it,” Arteta said, as quoted by Football.London. “I’m thinking about what’s best for the team and obviously the players with the right to play minutes which they all deserve and we’re going to try to do that in the next couple of games.”
An Opportunity to Impress Against Everton?
While Tierney might be thinking of leaving Arsenal in the summer, he is likely to get more minutes in the coming months.
Arsenal are still competing in the Europa League, and Zinchenko will not be able to play every game. There is a good chance that Tierney will start on Wednesday night against Everton as The Gunners play their second of three games in the space of a week.
Read More: World Cup Winning Star ‘Keen on Move to a Top Club’; Bidding War Expected in the Summer – Romano
It is an important fixture for Arsenal, as they seek to put five points between them and Manchester City in second place. And for Tierney, it could be an opportunity to earn more starts in the league going forward.
Main Photo
