Mikel Arteta admits his rare mistake with £25m Arsenal star – he was flying under Unai Emery

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Mikel Arteta’s time at Arsenal has certainly been a learning curve, a coach who took his first job as a manager during one of the most difficult periods in the club’s recent history.

Arteta actually enjoyed fairly immediate success at Arsenal by winning the FA Cup in his first season, a trophy win that owed a lot credit to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The current Arsenal boss inherited a real mix of players from Unai Emery’s time at the club, a squad with a lot of problems.

Of course, Kieran Tierney was definitely in the bracket of players who immediately helped Arteta, alongside Aubameyang.

Unfortunately, as time went on, Arteta’s project outgrew the Scotland international, who wasn’t able to excel as an inverted left-back.

Mikel Arteta thinks he made an error with Kieran Tierney

Playing a traditional role under Emery and even Arteta in the early days, Tierney looked like an Arsenal captain in waiting, a brilliant performer who led by example.

Yet, Tierney hasn’t played for Arsenal for almost two years, a defender who could now be set for a remarkable return against Monaco.

READ MORE: £50m star needs to leave Arsenal in January, Mikel Arteta is wasting his talent

Arsenal are enduring another injury crisis, and as a result, Tierney could return to the fold before a potential exit in January.

That being said, Arteta spoke about Tierney towards the end of press conference before facing Monaco, stating that he would play a traditional full-back role.

Arteta alluded to his mistake with Tierney in the past trying to transition him into an inverted role, a ‘learning’ experience.

He said: “I would put Kieran more in his strengths. If we do what we have to do I would play him in positions, especially in attack, in situations and scenarios and spaces that he is more comfortable with. That’s a learning.

“It is about the player having certain qualities. First is he willing to do it? Does he want to do it, yes or no? The other one: is he capable of doing it and does he understand it?

“When a player has those three ingredients anything can happen. We see that with many other players. But if a player doesn’t really fill it, it is more of a problem and we as coaches we have to find solutions.”

Will Kieran Tierney leave Arsenal in January?

Arsenal fans were calling for Tierney to face West Ham in their recent Premier League fixture, something that wasn’t needed in the end.

But it’s clear that there’s a real appetite around the Emirates Stadium to see the Scot back in action in red.

As mentioned, it still seems very likely that Tierney will leave the club in January, regardless of how much he features over the next few weeks.

Tierney could finally return to Celtic next month, a club who it was difficult for the left-back to leave in the first place.

Tierney cost Arsenal £25m from Celtic, a player who was well worth that transfer fee before injuries also started to plague his progress in north London.