Mikel Arteta is now keen to sell £25m Arsenal fan favourite for one big reason

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Arsenal fans have been very divided over the issue of Kieran Tierney, who joined La Liga side Real Sociedad on loan for the season.

Tierney was a very popular figure amongst the Arsenal fanbase, but the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko last year saw Mikel Arteta change his system to invert his left-back.

The Scotland International could not adjust to this new system, as he excelled as an overlapping left-back on the touchline, but struggled to replicate Zinchenko’s influence by tucking into midfield when in possession.

With Arsenal suffering a defensive injury crisis, rumours emerged that Tierney could be recalled from his loan, but he denied that there was any chance of him making a shock return to the Emirates in the winter window.

Mikel Arteta wants to sell Kieran Tierney

A report from Football Insider has now revealed that Arteta plans to sell Tierney when his loan ends at the end of the season, whether to Real Sociedad or elsewhere.

The defender, who joined from Celtic for around £25m in 2019, is now set to depart for good, and it appears that he has played his last game in red and white.

A big reason behind Arteta’s lack of faith in Tierney is his injury record. It is claimed that Arteta does not believe he can rely on the left-back as a squad option because he cannot stay fit for extended periods of time, and has missed crucial parts of the campaign in each of his seasons since arriving.

Has Arteta been harsh on Tierney at Arsenal?

Many will argue that letting Tierney leave despite the long-term injury to Jurrien Timber in August was a mistake, with Arsenal now desperately short of options at the back.

Despite him not completely fitting the system, he may still be a better option than Jakub Kiwior, with the centre-back struggling to replace Zinchenko at left-back against Fulham last week.

Tierney’s injury record is also not a unique problem at Arsenal. Takehiro Tomiyasu is set to sign a new contract, despite his fitness issues being as bad as Tierney’s since his arrival two years ago.

With Cedric Soares still at the club, and Tierney now playing in La Liga, it is arguable that Arteta has weakened his own squad by letting the 26-year-old depart, and the only hope now is that Arsenal can find a solution at left-back in the winter window, before receiving a good fee for Tierney in the summer.

A once-crucial performer in Arteta’s early days at the club, Tierney saw his stock fall rapidly through little fault of his own, and there now appears to be no way back for him in the manager’s plans.