Chris Sutton says £25m player looks absolutely ‘miles off it’ after leaving Arsenal

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One player Arsenal sold in the summer transfer window has yet to win over his new club.

The summer was a busy time for the Gunners, with Arsenal welcoming eight new players, as well as sanctioning several exits.

On the departures front, the majority of the work was done through loans; however, the notable first-team exits happened on a permanent basis.

Jorginho signed for Flamengo as a free agent while Kieran Tierney rejoined Celtic, and it’s fair to say the two players have had contrasting starts.

• READ MORE: Mikel Arteta was responsible for two Arsenal signings who ‘stank the place out’

Chris Sutton says Kieran Tierney is struggling at Celtic

Over in Brazil, Jorginho has become a hero at Flamengo, settling into life in Rio de Janeiro with ease.

For Tierney, things are more complicated, as in Glasgow, Celtic aren’t exactly blowing fans away with their performances under Brendan Rodgers.

It’s not only as a collective that the Hoops are being tested, as individual performances aren’t at the necessary standard, with Celtic fans unimpressed with Tierney.

Supporters aren’t the only ones who have commented on the former Arsenal star, as Chris Sutton mentioned the defender when speaking to the Daily Record.

“You’ve then got the left side situation, Kieran Tierney, sort of miles off it,” Sutton said.

“There’s an argument with Saracchi coming in that Celtic have a better balance to the team because he can play that inverted role. I’m not going to argue with that.”

If Celtic failing to qualify for the Champions League was a problem enough for Tierney, the left-back’s recent performances have taken concerns to a whole new level.

Before Sutton’s remarks, the Daily Mail weighed in on Tierney, echoing the pundit’s belief that Arsenal’s £25m 2019 signing is a shadow of the player he once was.

Sutton isn’t opposed to seeing Tierney axed from Celtic’s starting XI, representing the unfortunate fall from grace the 28-year-old is experiencing. 

Injuries derailed Tierney’s career

There was a time not so long ago that Mikel Arteta backed Tierney to become Arsenal captain, but now the defender is struggling in the Scottish Premiership.

What is happening to Tierney is a dire shame, but it’s only a reflection of how cruel the left-back’s injury history has been to his career.

Tierney’s slip down Arsenal’s pecking order started with injuries keeping him out of the loop, which progressed into Arteta finding better solutions elsewhere.

It has to be pondered how different things could’ve been for Tierney had his fitness issues never happened at Arsenal.

In North London, the Scotsman missed a staggering 100 matches due to injury, setbacks that have hurt his career.

It’s a real shame as Tierney is a model professional, with everyone at Arsenal and Celtic hoping that the defender can find his way.