Arsenal defender casts doubt over future, hints at return to former club

The 26-year-old left-back was signed by the Gunners for a reported £25m from Celtic in 2019 and he has since made a total of 124 appearances across all competitions.

However, injuries and the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko led to Tierney losing his place in Mikel Arteta's side, and the decision was made to send the Scotsman out on loan in search of regular game time.

While Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior have all featured at left-back for Arsenal this season, Tierney has played 21 times for La Liga outfit Real Sociedad, although he has missed a chunk of the campaign due to a niggling hamstring problem.

Tierney, who still has two years remaining on his Arsenal contract, is set to return to the Emirates Stadium when his temporary deal at Sociedad comes to an end this summer, but his long-term future in North London remains uncertain.

Tierney discusses Arsenal future

Asked during an interview with talkSPORT if there is a chance that he will be reintegrated into Arteta's squad for next season, Tierney said: "You never know in football. It's probably quite rare that it happens when you come back from a loan.

"Of course you've got circumstances like [William] Saliba when they just come back and I don't think he's been out the team since - he's not been on the bench since.

"But it's maybe a bit different for someone who has played four years already goes back [into the team].

"But you genuinely never know, football is a mad place, so let's see what happens."

Tierney has said that it is "hard to put a finger on" what led to him being loaned out, but he believes that his temporary exit last summer was the right decision for both himself and Arsenal.

"The way things had developed at Arsenal, the way the team was going and what happened last season with game time... It probably worked out best for both parties that I got out, get a new experience - get some game time," said the left-back.

"And when you don't play, you do lose a bit of your confidence, so to go over here and get that back has been great."

Tierney was also asked about the possibility of a return to Celtic where he spent the first four years of his senior career, and he said: "Who knows. You never know in football.

"It's a connection that I will always have and it's somewhere I will imagine I will always be linked with if I were to move from any club. So, you never know."

The Scotland international is expected to represent the Tartan Army at Euro 2024, but it remains to be seen whether a decision over his club future will be made before or after the tournament in Germany.