Mikel Arteta provides update on Kieran Tierney’s future amid Newcastle uncertainty

Mikel Arteta has insisted that Kieran Tierney is part of his plans at Arsenal this season despite speculation linking him with a move away from north London.

The Scottish international started just 15 games for the Gunners last season after new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko established himself as the first choice. Even in Zinchenko’s absence though Tierney found himself overlooked in favour of Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

This has seen him linked with a move away, with Newcastle understood to be among the teams interested. eDespite that though, Arteta feels that the left back will still be an important player for him this season.

“He is obviously in our plans,” the Spaniard told football.london. “He came on and did really good in pre-season, not for the first, and this is what we want. To increase the level of competition in the team and raise the level of each individual. That is going to be a huge benefit for the team to get to another level”

Tierney meanwhile has also hinted that he would like to stay. “It’s not really up to me,” he told football.london in an interview in New Jersey. “I’m happy, I’m working hard every day and getting minutes. I’m just trying to do as well as I can.”

Tierney impressed off the bench during Arsenal’s pre-season friendly defeat to Manchester United in New Jersey. He is line to be involved in some form again when the Gunners take on Barcelona as Zinchenko continues to recover from a calf injury that has seen him miss all three of Arsenal’s pre-season games so far this summer.