Mikel Arteta breaks silence on Kieran Tierney exit rumours as Arsenal transfer truth revealed

The 27-year-old made his first Arsenal appearance in a year and a half in Wednesday's 3-2 EFL Cup win over Crystal Palace, but reports emerged immediately afterwards that he will be ending his six-year spell at the Emirates next summer.

When Tierney extended his Arsenal contract in 2021, it was believed that the Scotland international had signed a five-year renewal, but it has now been revealed that he only signed on for four years with an option until 2026.

As the Gunners have chosen not to activate that clause, Tierney can walk away for nothing at the end of the season and is free to begin negotiating pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs when the January window opens.

Celtic have supposedly shown an interest in re-signing their former talent, who spent 14 years at the club from 2005 to 2019 before joining Arsenal, but Arteta confirmed on Friday that he has not asked to be sold in January.

Arteta: 'I would not play a player who wants to leave'

"At the moment he's here with us," Arteta said at his pre-Crystal Palace press conference. "I wouldn't play a player that is thinking about leaving or is not committed to us, so he's fully committed.

"He's enjoying after a long period again with a really tough injury, so live the moment. He's a big part of the squad now, he deserves to be in the squad and played really well after such a long time, so that's the only thing I can say.

"He hasn't come to me and said 'I want to move.' In the past if we have any doubts he came to me and said 'I think it's my time to move' and this hasn't been the case yet."

Tierney was forced off midway through the second half on Wednesday evening, but the 27-year-old was only believed to have been suffering from cramp after a lengthy absence with a hamstring injury.

The ex-Celtic man is therefore expected to be a part of the squad for Saturday's trip to Selhurst Park, where Arteta is also optimistic of welcoming three players back from injury.

Is there still a future for Tierney at Arsenal?

Regardless of Tierney's perpetual injury problems during his time in North London, he has been and will always be a fan favourite at the Emirates, thanks in no small part to his qualities as an attacking full-back.

The Scotland international made one of his trademark overlapping runs in the first half of the game against Palace, and playing a recognised left-back at left-back rather than shoe-horning Jurrien Timber into that position is surely preferable moving forward.

However, the brutal truth is that Tierney's qualities just do not align with the way Arteta wants his left-backs to play any more, as the Arsenal boss brought in Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori for their ability to invert rather than overlap.

With Zinchenko and Calafiori both available again after their own problems, and Myles Lewis-Skelly also making his breakthrough season, Tierney could go from starting on Wednesday to being Arsenal's fourth-choice left-back.

The Gunners should not consider parting ways with Tierney as early as January, especially as several other defenders have struggled to stay fit in the current campaign, but a summer exit is undoubtedly best for both club and player.

Written by

Ben Knapton