A selection of Arsenal stars are set to represent their countries at Euro 2024 this summer, but one of the players in question may not be at the Emirates for much longer.
Kieran Tierney, who has spent the season on loan at Real Sociedad, has been named in Scotland’s provisional squad for this summer’s tournament, as confirmed on the Scottish FA’s official website.
Tierney has 43 international caps and will be looking to help Scotland navigate their way out of a difficult group that includes Switzerland, Hungary and hosts Germany. Scotland will hope to fare better than they did at Euro 2020, when they failed to progress beyond the group stages.
Kieran Tierney set for a busy summer on and off the pitch
It is likely to be a busy summer for Tierney as in addition to his international commitments he will also have a decision to make regarding his club future.
Tierney is one of Arsenal’s longest-serving players having joined the club in a £25m deal from Celtic in 2019. At one stage he was a key player for Mikel Arteta’s side with his bursts down the left flank.
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However, the signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko pushed Tierney down the pecking order at Emirates Stadium, which led to his loan switch to Sociedad.
As is often the case, Tierney has struggled with injuries this season but he has still made 25 appearances for Sociedad and has largely given a good account of himself, with his loan side securing qualification for the Europa League.
Arsenal future appears unlikely for Tierney
It remains to be seen if Sociedad will look to sign Tierney permanently but such a move could be of great benefit to the 26-year-old, giving that it is looking increasingly unlikely that he will have a future at Arsenal.
As well as Zinchenko, Arsenal now have other options at left-back, with Takehiro Tomiyasu having ended the season playing there, while Jakub Kiwior featured in that position earlier in the campaign.
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There is also Jurrien Timber to consider, with the Dutchman, who missed the vast majority of the season through injury, capable of impressing in either full-back berth.
Should Tierney remain at Arsenal it is unlikely that he would receive much playing time, so a parting of the ways appears to be the best option for all concerned.
Tierney won the FA Cup with Arsenal in 2020 and has made over 100 appearances for the club, with his committed performances endearing him to supporters.
When assessing his situation, Tierney will surely acknowledge that it is time to move on and start the next chapter of his career.