Arsenal v FC Zurich - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - November 3, 2022. Arsenal's Kieran Tierney celebrates scoring.
Aston Villa target Kieran Tierney could be allowed to leave Arsenal this summer after face-to-face talks with Mikel Arteta, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.
The Lowdown: Villa interest
Reports in the week linked Villa with an interest in Tierney, with Football Insider saying that Arsenal could green-light a summer sale and value the player at £30m.
Tierney has dropped down the pecking order under Arteta this season following Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival, with the majority of his minutes coming in the Europa League.
Villa could be willing to sell Lucas Digne to make room for the Scot, with Unai Emery already bringing in Alex Moreno back in January.
The Latest: Jacobs’ comments
Jacobs was talking to TEAMtalk regarding Tierney and his future in London. The reporter said that the player has held talks with Arteta and is still valued with the Gunners.
“My understanding with Tierney is that he held face to face talks with Arteta to try and better understand his future and was really just told to fight for his place and that he’s still valued.”
However, he went on to say “there is a very realistic possibility that he leaves if the right offer comes in over the course of the summer.”
The Verdict: Gamble?
Tierney, described as a ‘warrior’ by Ashley Cole, has struggled for minutes this season, but when he has been on the pitch in the Premier League, he hasn’t impressed statistically, as per WhoScored. The Scot has a top-flight match average of 6.24/10, a lower score than both Digne and Moreno.
Therefore, an expensive £30m move could be seen as a gamble by some, but with Pete O’Rourke believing Emery may not trust Digne, a new left-back could be on the agenda in the Midlands this summer, meaning Tierney could be a name to keep an eye on, especially following Jacobs’ comments.
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