Arsenal star Kieran Tierney has been labelled “world class on his day” – but the left-back’s struggles have seen him become a forgotten man within the Premier League sphere. Tierney is currently on loan in La Liga but has received very little attention while playing for Real Sociedad.
Tierney hasn’t played for Arsenal in the Premier League since a 10-minute cameo from the bench on the final day of last season. Altogether he started just six top-flight matches last term.
In fact, Tierney played more minutes for Scotland in the 2021-22 campaign (887) than he managed for Arsenal in the league last season (779). That was largely due to injuries.
And it is fitness problems that have limited the 26-year-old’s impact over in Spain too. He has only played 1,202 minutes so far from a potential maximum of 3,690 for La Real.
But speaking to PLZ Soccer, Neil Lennon named Tierney as one of three Scotland internationals who has the quality to be ‘world class’. The former Celtic manager said: “Tierney on his day can be world-class.”
Despite the praise, it appears Tierney’s time at Arsenal may soon be up. His career with the Gunners has ultimately underwhelmed due to his inability to stay fit for lengthy periods.
The Scot’s exit will be a sad end to his time at Arsenal, as huge things had been expected of him just a few seasons ago. Mikel Arteta even said in 2021 that Tierney could go on to be a future captain of the club.
The Spaniard said: “Because he has the respect and the admiration of every member of the staff and every player. It’s just the way he is, he does it in a natural way.”
Iconic former Arsenal defenders Martin Keown and Nigel Winterburn were among others to tip Tierney for the armband. Keown called the left-back “the standout player who could fill that role” in December 2021.
While Winterburn said: “A captain demands respect from his team-mates and I’m sure Tierney has that because he’s made an impact since joining. When he plays he makes the team better and he’s also loved by the supporters. I couldn’t see any reason why he couldn’t be a future captain.”
But he is now at best third choice at the Emirates, behind Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and possibly even the injury-hit Jurrien Timber, even though the Dutchman has barely played since joining last summer. He is predominantly a right-sided player but can operate on the left too.
The idea of signing Tierney on loan again would appeal to Real Sociedad but Arsenal would surely prefer a permanent sale. The player is out of contract in 2026, meaning his value will only decrease from here on out.
The Londoners have previously sought around £25million for Tierney, which is what they paid Celtic to sign him five years ago. It is unclear how much they will be able to command for the player given his physical issues.
But Tierney most certainly still has plenty of quality whenever he’s on the pitch. And if he can manage to stay fit, he will be a massive asset to whichever club he heads to next. A return to Celtic would be the romantic move – but sadly the finances might not add up.
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