Kieran Tierney Arsenal exit 'possible' for one reason as Chelsea could trigger transfer

Kieran Tierney has been tipped to leave Arsenal for Leicester - and an Emirates exit is said to potentially be "possible" at the end of the season.

Posted Saturday, June 06, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Kieran Tierney leaving Arsenal after just 12 months at the club "might become possible" because he is "not really settled" at the club, it has been claimed. The left-back's future is the subject of speculation despite only joining in a £25million move from Celtic last August.

Since then, though, injuries have wrecked the Scot's hopes of making an immediate impact in north London.

Tierney has made just 11 appearances across all competitions, managing just three starts in the Premier League because of hip and shoulder injuries.

And though he is just 23 years old, it has been suggested Arsenal could already cut ties with the Scotland international.

That's because former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, in charge at Leicester, wants to reunite with Tierney.

Kieran Tierney Arsenal exit 'possible' for one reason as Chelsea could trigger transfer

While the Foxes have England ace Ben Chilwell on their books, Chelsea are in talks with the defender about a switch to Stamford Bridge.

And Rodgers wants to replace Chilwell with Celtic academy graduate Tierney at the King Power Stadium.

Bleacher Report's Dean Jones says that a switch to the Midlands is a viable switch, because Tierney has not truly settled in the English capital.

Jones tweeted: "Leicester have an eye on Kieran Tierney if they do sell Chilwell this summer.

"There's a feeling Tierney not really settled at Arsenal so it might become possible."

Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of Tierney and would surely be loathed to losing him, having recently declared: "I’m really looking forward to working with him and giving him the opportunity to play.

"His attitude, his commitment, his willingness, it’s incredible.

"I think he’s going to bring something special to us. It [the injury] has been a shame, but it’s part of his development. During your career, you go through these moments.

"I challenged him to say, 'Kieran, how are you going to react to that? You can’t feel sorry for yourself, this happened.

"'Okay, the level of pressure now is a little bit higher, you have to deal with it, you’re playing with a top club, top expectations, deal with it. You have everything to be successful here.

"'You have the best possible attitude that I’ve known from a player, go and live your profession and enjoy it.'"

But transfer expert Duncan Castles also believes Tierney could be offloaded by Arsenal in order to raise funds for other signings.

"There is a fit there [for Ben Chilwell at Chelsea]," he said on the Transfer Window podcast.

"I think it's important that Brendan Rodgers, when he was entering Leicester City and looking at last summer's transfer market, Chilwell was a player he was prepared to let go.

"He felt he could secure a substantial transfer fee for him and if he did the player he had in mind to purchase was Kieran Tierney.

"Obviously neither of those things happened, Tierney went to Arsenal instead and Tierney has struggled through injury, with the managerial changes at Arsenal as well, made just 11 appearances for them so far, just five in the Premier League.

"So when you're looking at a player who struggled in that first season like that, was bought for a substantial fee, he is at a club which has money problems, they need to make changes to their squad and they need to find revenue to do that.

"So in normal circumstances you would say no chance of getting a player from Arsenal who had been bought for a substantial fee and brought in as part of the last and most recent rebuild.

"Perhaps in these circumstances a deal would be viable for Leicester and I think it fits with Brendan Rodgers' assessment of the players and the way he has pragmatically looked at his squad at the past."