Scotland boss Steve Clarke has urged Kieran Tierney to wait and see how his Arsenal situation develops amid interest from Newcastle United.
Tierney spent last season as Arsenal’s undoubted first-choice left back when fully fit.
Injuries were a problem at times but with Nuno Tavares struggling, Tierney was an automatic choice last term.
This season has been a lot different though, as Arsenal snapped up Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.
The Ukrainian has become Arsenal’s first-choice left back and Tierney is stuck on the Arsenal bench.
Tierney has started just four Premier League games this season and come off the bench in another 14.
The 25-year-old won’t want to sit on the bench forever and there are rumours about Tierney leaving Arsenal.
Steve Clarke comments on Kieran Tierney’s Arsenal future
Links to Newcastle have been rampant in recent weeks.
The Chronicle claim that Tierney’s representatives have offered the left back to Newcastle ahead of the summer window.
The Sun added that Tierney is unhappy at Arsenal and the Magpies would be willing to pay £30million to sign him.
The Mirror (26/02, p71) added that Tierney is actually open to signing for Newcastle if the opportunity arises this summer.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke – a former Newcastle man himself – has now offered his view on Tierney’s situation.
Clarke has told The Scotsman that he thinks Tierney just needs to knuckle down and focus on the end of the season with Arsenal.
Clarke added that Tierney should wait and see what materialises this summer, seemingly believing that the left back should be open to offers for an Arsenal exit.
“It’s one of the things you have got to deal with when you are playing at a top-level club,” said Clarke. “I had it myself when I was a player. Obviously in the early days at Chelsea it was a little bit easier but once you had the foreign influence starting to come in and better players start to turn up, you find yourself at a level where you are maybe not going to be selected to play every game. You have to deal with that. He understands why he is not getting so many minutes in the Premier League. He has just got to knuckle down and get on with it. That’s what he is doing.”
“You have got a choice. Run away and try somewhere else or stick it out. I didn’t have too many suitors at the time. I was settled in the area and settled at the club. Kieran is probably in a slightly different position. He is certainly good enough to play to the highest level in the EPL. I think he should knuckle down, see this season out like the good professional he is and see what the summer brings,” he added.
Add in links to Leeds United, Aston Villa and more and Tierney should be a man in demand this summer.
Whether Arsenal are willing to let him go remains to be seen, especially after Tierney showed his quality today with an assist against Crystal Palace.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
