Charles Watts has spoken about Kieran Tierney’s future at Arsenal and transfer interest from Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
The Arsenal transfer expert added that Kieran Tierney ‘improves most teams’ in the Premier League ahead of a possible exit this summer.
After previously being the number one left-back under Mikel Arteta, the Scotland international became number two when Oleksandr Zinchenko arrived in the summer and now Watts feels it’s understandable he wants to leave, even though you would ‘ideally keep him’, as he told Inside Arsenal – News and Transfers.
The interesting thing here is that Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was the one who signed Tierney from Celtic when he was at the Emirates and now he wants him in the Midlands.
But Villa face some serious competition from Newcastle United because Eddie Howe is also on the lookout for a left-sided fullback.
Either way, Watts spoke about Tierney’s future in north London and how it’s time for the ‘very good’ Scotland international to part ways with the Gunners.
“It’s interesting what you would do with Kieran Tierney,” said Watts. “Ideally, you would keep him because he is a very good player and you want to keep your squad strong ahead of a season when you are going to try to compete for the Premier League again and also competing in the Champions League.
“On occasions, you have to take the player into account, and that Kieran Tierney is a very, very good player. He was a really key Arsenal player. He suddenly finds himself out of the team, not getting any opportunities – it’s time to let him go. He will want to move on and start to play regularly. He deserves to as well.
“He is better than just sitting on the bench because he goes to most teams in the Premier League and he improves them. It just doesn’t quite work at Arsenal because of the system that they play.”
SHOULD TIERNEY JOIN NEWCASTLE OR VILLA?
From a financial perspective, both can throw the same amount of punches because the two teams have wealthy owners behind them, of course, Newcastle have the richest owners in the league.
But this comes down to who wants Tierney the most? Villa purchased Alex Moreno during the January transfer window and he has probably been their best player during that period.
So, it has to be questioned. What is Emery planning with this interest in Tierney, despite having Moreno on board, because the better option might be going to St James’ Park because he walks straight into Howe’s team and they are playing Champions League football next season.