Mikel Arteta ‘has made it clear’ that ‘fantastic’ Arsenal player is no longer in his plans

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Arsenal have done a great job with outgoings in recent transfer windows, but there’s more to do.

The Gunners sold Aaron Ramsdale, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah for good money in the summer, while Reiss Nelson, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga were sent out on loan again.

We expect Nelson, Tavares and Lokonga to be sold in the summer of 2025, and a few players in Arsenal’s current squad could join them.

A report has now revealed Arteta’s stance on one such player.

Mikel Arteta has made up his mind on Kieran Tierney’s Arsenal future

Arsenal signed Kieran Tierney from Celtic in the summer of 2019, when Unai Emery was still the manager.

The Scot joined the club with an injury but he became an instant fan favourite after his debut. The defender is adored by Arsenal fans even to this day, but there’s just no place for him in the side.

Tierney, hailed as a ‘fantastic player’ by Andy Robertson, is pushing hard to return to full fitness now after suffering another injury in the summer. He has been named in Arsenal’s Premier League and Champions League squads as well.

However, if The Sun is to be believed, Arteta ‘has made it clear’ that Tierney is not in his plans at Arsenal. That means a move away in January is very likely.

The reason behind Arteta’s stance is the number of options he has at left-back – Riccardo Calafiori has made that role his own in recent weeks, while Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior, Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu can all play there as well. Even Myles Lewis-Skelly has done well in that role.

All of the above names are ahead of Tierney in the pecking order, which is why the former Celtic star is no longer in Arteta’s thoughts.

This report comes a day after it was claimed that Tierney has accepted that he doesn’t suit Arteta’s system at Arsenal and will look to leave in January.

Another Arsenal defender could be sold along with Tierney

Tierney isn’t the only Arsenal player who is struggling to get a game at left-back – Zinchenko falls into a similar bracket.

The Ukraine international, who is currently injured, is ahead of Tierney in the pecking order because of his ability to invert, but Zinchenko’s future is far from certain.

The former Manchester City man will enter the final 18 months of his contract in January, and Arsenal have to make a decision on his future then.

We think the Gunners should make him available on the market. If a good offer arrives, selling him would be the best thing for all parties involved.

Even if Arsenal keep hold of Zinchenko in January, we expect him to be sold in the summer of 2025.