Defender Kieran Tierney is currently on loan at Real Sociedad from Arsenal, and his future is unclear.
Tierney left last summer after losing his place to Oleksandr Zinchenko, and with Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Jurrien Timber ahead of him in the pecking order, he has since admitted that he is likely to leave permanently.
The Scotland star initially started well at his new home in Northern Spain, but injuries have continued to derail his progress.
The 26-year-old was a huge talent when he joined Arsenal from Celtic, much like fellow Scot Charlie Nicholas back in the 1980s, and having quickly become a popular figure, his status at the club declined at a similar rapid pace after Zinchenko was signed.
Zinchenko played Mikel Arteta’s desired role as an inverted left-back who would tuck into midfield when in position, which Tierney tried and failed to do, but he has now praised the Ukrainian for the ability he has brought to the position.
Kieran Tierney praises Oleksandr Zinchenko after being replaced at Arsenal
Speaking in an interview with The Athletic, Tierney admitted that he could not match Zinchenko’s technical level when trying to replicate what he brings to the left-back role.
“In pre-season, I knew I had to get my head down and try to learn it. The first few months, it was about being inside more or higher up, it was just repetition of having the ball,” he stated.
“In training, anyone can do it, but going into games you need to know exactly when to turn, when to play forward, when to bounce it back. It’s just trying it, making mistakes and learning for next time.
“For me, the best thing was watching Zinchenko do it.”
“Arteta believed in me to play there (inverted). He told me that and he showed me clips from training to prove I can do it.
“If I was asked to do it at Sociedad, I’d do it no problem, as (well as) I can, but you’re comparing me to Zinchenko. He was brought up as a centre-mid, so you’re up against it. He’s a technical genius.”
Could Kieran Tierney have succeeded at Arsenal without inverting?
If injuries are taken out of the equation, then Tierney was an excellent left-back for Arsenal. The former Celtic star was of a more traditional mould, and had the ability to whip in lethal crosses, whilst also bringing speed and defensive solidity to the left flank.
Jakub Kiwior’s spell in the team saw the Poland International play a traditional role, whilst Ben White inverted from the other side, but Tierney has claimed that there are no hard feelings towards Arteta for not giving him the same opportunity.
“I’ve seen some of the games and Ben White was inverting, but the manager was doing what he thought was best for the team again,” Tierney added.
Tierney was arguably a better left-back than Kiwior in a traditional role, with Kiwior naturally a centre-back, but he left in search of regular minutes, which he would not have received had he stayed at the Emirates last summer.