Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney departed on loan in the summer after losing his place in the team, and his relationship with the club does not appear to be strong.
The 26-year-old was once a key player for Mikel Arteta, having joined in the summer of 2019 under Unai Emery, just months before the Spaniard returned to manage the club he once captained.
Tierney arrived as an outstanding prospect at left-back, having become a leader for Celtic at a young age, and there was even talk of him eventually becoming Arsenal captain one day.
However, in the last two years, Tierney’s role at the club diminished, with Arteta moving to a system which required his left-back to invert into midfield, and signed Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City to play ahead of the Scotland star.
Tierney, now on loan at Real Sociedad, has now admitted that he has not spoken to Arteta whilst out on loan in the Basque Country, amid an uncertain future.
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Kieran Tierney has not spoken to Mikel Arteta since Arsenal loan exit
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Tierney claimed that whilst he is still in contact with some of his teammates such as Aaron Ramsdale, he has not spoken to Arteta at any point during the course of the season.
“I’ve not spoken to him, but he’s busy, and has a lot going on now and a lot to fight for with Arsenal,” he stated.
“Some of the boys I still keep in touch with like Ramsdale as well, but a few of them that I was close to like Matt Turner and Rob Holding, they’ve left as well so it’s a bit of a different changing room.”
Arsenal have moved on from Kieran Tierney
Despite Tierney’s talent as a natural fullback, he simply could not perform the role asked of him as cover for Zinchenko.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior are now also ahead of him in the pecking order, with Jurrien Timber also set to return from injury, meaning a return to Arsenal is highly unlikely for the former Celtic star.
Tierney stood out in an otherwise poor defence at Arsenal, and it does speak volumes that potentially none of his closest teammates previously could be at the club next season, with Rob Holding and Matt Turner leaving last summer, and Ramsdale likely to depart at the end of this season.
The left-back is someone who is held in high regard by the fans, but his lack of tactical adaptability, as well as his constant injury problems, prevented him from being a long-term success at the club.
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