Arteta appears to make Arsenal U-turn despite "phenomenal" Ferguson claim
As Mikel Arteta continues to add to his ranks at Arsenal, players signed by his predecessors are finding themselves surplus to requirements.
Granit Xhaka's summer exit sees the number of Arsene Wenger signings in the group drop even further, while Nicolas Pepe - signed by Unai Emery for a then club-record sum - appears to have no future in North London.
Arsenal signed Kieran Tierney just a week after Pepe's arrival from Lille, with the Scotland left-back arriving in a £25m move from Celtic. The defender has won plenty of plaudits, with former Scotland boss Sir Alex Ferguson echoing Arteta's praise, but Tierney's importance to his team is beginning to wane.
"It's not really up to me," Tierney said (via The Athletic), addressing his future after featuring in Arsenal's pre-season friendly defeat against Manchester United. "I'm happy, I'm working hard every day and getting minutes. I'm just trying to do as well as I can."
The Scotland international admitted he hadn't held discussions with Arteta over his next step, though the Gunners' transfer business appears to limit his options. Oleksandr Zinchenko was first choice at Arsenal last season, restricting Tierney to just three league starts after the World Cup break.
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January signing Jakub Kiwior is another option at left-back, though the Pole is most comfortable in the middle, while there is also an option for Takehiro Tomiyasu to shift across with summer arrival Jurrien Timber competing with Ben White on the right. And, while Tierney recognised the competition for places, it appears as though Arteta could be ready to move forward without the 26-year-old.
Should Arsenal sell Kieran Tierney? Have your say in the comments section
Kieran Tierney featured in Arsenal's pre-season friendly against Man United (Getty Images)"You can't play every single game, every single season, every single year," Tierney continued. "I don't expect that and I still made a lot of appearances last year. I was ready for every game and working 100 per cent. I think everyone in there would agree with that, that I never give less than that whether I'm playing or not.
"In the games I did play I tried to do my best for the team. I came off the bench a lot last season, whether that was to see games out or help get a goal."
While Arteta still recognises Tierney's quality, things have changed since 2021. Back then, the defender was a regular starter when fit, and Ferguson shared Arteta's optimism.
“I do think Scotland have some very good midfield players, and I’m not sure how they’re gonna play Robertson and Tierney in the same team," he said. "I know there were some situations where they played Tierney as the third centre-back, but the form of Tierney since he’s gone to Arsenal has been phenomenal."
Mikel Arteta has praised the defender (AFP via Getty Images)Arteta even hinted Tierney could become a future Arsenal captain. At the time, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang wore the armband, but it ended up being Martin Odegaard - signed on an initial loan in January 2021 - who ended up succeeding the striker.
“Since the moment I joined the club I have seen a player with enormous talent with the perfect attitude and commitment," Arteta said of Tierney. “He is a joy to work with and I am so happy for him for the way he scored [against West Brom] and everything he has put in to be better every day towards the team, towards the club.
“He has had some issues to adapt. We tried to help him. It was a challenge for him to leave his house as we all tried to help him. He is shy and so humble. He came here and it took him a while. He had a really bad injury and was away from home but he is a natural leader.
“You see how he behaves on the pitch and when he talks he says the right thing. And he is exactly what we are looking for and I am so happy to have him in the team."
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The arrival of Jurrien Timber has further strengthened Arsenal's back-line (AFP via Getty Images)It's not even a case of Tierney's form falling off. He has remained reliable, even helping fill a left-back role which has morphed under Arteta since the arrival of Zinchenko.
He still looks like a capable starter for a team in the mix for top-four football, as the Gunners were when he arrived, but the team have elevated themselves over the last 12 months and the base level is higher.
It's now a question of whether Tierney can consistently keep himself at that new level and, if not, whether player and club alike are satisfied using him as a rotation option and nothing more. Arteta's willingness to keep adding to his back-line suggests he might have determined now is the time to move on.
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