Kieran Tierney reveals latest on Arsenal future after Real Sociedad loan spell
Kieran Tierney says there is “every chance” he has played his last game for Arsenal, but insists there is no bad blood between himself and Mikel Arteta.
The left-back has been out on loan at Real Sociedad this season after losing his place in the Arsenal team last year following the signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Tierney faces even more competition for his place now as Jakub Kiwior, Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu have all played at left-back this season.
And asked if that means he has played his last game for Arsenal, Tierney told The Athletic: “There is every chance.
“Look at the squad depth in that position now. They have Zinchenko, Timber, Tomiyasu, Kiwior. Four players can play there.
“So if I go back and it’s the same as before then I’m not silly, I know the chances are I’ll be leaving.
“But you never know in football. You get the rare case with [William] Saliba, where he came back after a couple of good seasons [out on loan] but you don’t see it too often with someone who has played for four years, left, and then come back to play again.
“Stranger things have happened. I could go back and there is a place for me. So I’m prepared for both.”
Tierney joined Arsenal in 2019 from Celtic for around £25million and he quickly became a key player under Arteta.
The Scot was rewarded with a new contract in 2021 but, despite losing his place now, insists there is no bad blood between him and Arteta.
“There are no hard feelings or spite from me,” said Tierney. “I understand the decision of the manager to change me from No1 to No2. It’s football.
“It never happened in a personal way. It was tactical. He thought it was best to get Arsenal results — and he was 100 per cent correct, when you look at it. They were close to winning the league last year, and this year I think they’ll do it.”
Tierney has been hit by injury issues during his time at Arsenal and they have impacted him at Sociedad too, so much so that he has sought additional help.
“The hardest days [when you are out injured] are the games,” he said. “It’s horrible.
“You’re trying to help motivate other people but you’re feeling down yourself — gutted you’re letting them down. That’s what affects me the most.
“I’ve been using a psychologist this season. They help, as a lot of people don’t know exactly how to train their brain.
“You train muscles, technique, tactics, but you don’t really train mindset as much. Getting tips on how to overcome situations has been really beneficial.”
