KIERAN TIERNEY has claimed Mikel Arteta was right to drop him from Arsenal’s starting line-up.
The Scot is on loan at Real Sociedad this season after falling down the pecking order in north London last season.
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Tierney, who signed for Arsenal in 2019 for £25m, was a regular for the Gunners in their early seasons but lost his place in the starting line-up last season when Oleksandr Zinchenko took over.
And the 26-year-old now has a difficult task to regain his place, with Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Jurrien Timber also able to play at left-back.
The tough competition has made the former Celtic defender understand he may have played his last game for the Gunners, despite being set to return to the Emirates when his loan expires this summer.
Speaking with Atléticohe said: “Look at the depth of the squad at that position right now. They have Zinchenko, Timber, Tomiyasu, Kiwior. Four players can play there.
“So, if I go back and continue as before, I’m not stupid, I know there are chances of leaving.
“But you never know in football. It’s a rare case with [William] Saliba.
“Where did he return after a few good seasons [out on loan] but you don’t see that very often with someone who played for four years, left and then came back to play.”
And despite admitting he will probably have to close the book on his Arsenal career, Tierney explained that he fully understands Arteta’s decision to bench him.
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He added: “There are no hard feelings or bitterness on my part. I understand the coach’s decision to move me from number 1 to number 2. It’s football.
“It never happened personally. It was tactical. He thought it was better to get results for Arsenal.
“And he was 100 percent correct, when you look at it. They came close to winning the championship last year, and this year I think they’re going to do it.”
Injuries have blighted Tierney’s time at Sociedad, with the Scottish international managing just 16 La Liga appearances this season.
His future is still up in the air, with Newcastle being one of the few Premier League clubs who have been linked with his permanent signature this summer.
Mikel Arteta striker shopping list
By Jordan Davies
ARSENAL are stepping up plans to sign a world-class striker in the summer following Champions League heartbreak.
Mikel Arteta splashed out £204.5m last summer on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
But the Spanish coach accepts he needs a proven goalscorer to take the club to the next level.
And here are the players he is looking to get the Gunners firing:
BENJAMIN SESKO (RB Leipzig, worth £40m-£45m)
One for the future at 20 years old. He scored 16 goals for RB Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga last season and the Slovenian has continued his fine form in Germany with Leipzig this season.
VIKTOR GYOKERES (Sporting Lisbon, worth between £60 million and £80 million)
It has been observed several times this season. The 25-year-old Swedish striker is more of a traditional number 9, so he may not meet Arsenal’s demands for flexibility, but he would bring the physicality that manager Mikel Arteta craves.
ALEXANDER ISAK (Newcastle, worth £75m-£85m)
Impressed in his first two seasons in English football. The 24-year-old Swede has the pace and finesse to match his finishing ability, and Eddie Howe’s Toon may need to sell to balance the books this summer.
JOSHUA ZIRKZEE (Bologna, worth £45m-£50m)
The Dutch wonder is attracting the attention of clubs across Europe. At 1.80 m, the 22-year-old striker would have no problem adapting to the Premier League and already has an eye for goal.
XAVI SIMONS (RB Leipzig, worth £70m-£80m)
An incredible talent in the mold of Bukayo Saka, currently on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. The 20-year-old Dutch striker’s future depends on how much money his parent club wants to make from him.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
