Aston Villa are believed to be interested in signing Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh claim.
Has Tierney shone for Arsenal this season?
The Gunners had a memorable season in the Premier League, admittedly falling short in the title race but pushing Manchester City until the final weeks of the campaign, playing some superb football along the way.
A number of players stood out for Arsenal, from Bukayo Saka to Martin Odegaard, but someone who had to make do with more of a squad role was Tierney. The £110,000-a-week defender was often kept out of the team by Oleksandr Zinchenko, making only six starts in the league in the process, coming off the substitutes' bench 21 times.
For that reason, it was clearly frustrating sense for the Scot on an individual level, and it could even be that he looks for a new challenge before the start of next season. His current deal at the Emirates doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, but it could even be a surprise if he is still there in September.
With Villa believed to be looking for key signings in the summer window, it looks as though the 25-year-old could be a target for them.
Could Aston Villa make move for Tierney?
According to The Times, the Villans are battling with Newcastle United for Tierney's signature, with Unai Emery seeing him as a strong option to bring in:
"Aston Villa plan to rival Newcastle United for the signing of Kieran Tierney this summer with the left back expected to leave Arsenal.
"Tierney, 25, is set to depart the north London club during the transfer window after holding talks with the Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Sponsored Although Newcastle remains the expected destination for the Scotland international, Villa have shown a strong interest and their manager Unai Emery is a big admirer of Tierney."
Tierney could be a really shrewd signing by Villa this summer, coming in as a top-quality left-back option and acting as an upgrade and replacement for the potentially outgoing Lucas Digne, who failed to assist in 28 Premier League appearances in 2022/23.
At 25, he is at a great point in his career, and while his time at Arsenal hasn't necessarily gone to plan, there is no shame in being behind a player of Zinchenko's calibre in the pecking order.
The 37-cap Scotland international has been hailed as "unbelievable" by Kris Boyd and won five Scottish Premiership titles during his time at Celtic, so he would bring with him a winning mentality and plenty of energy and quality down the left flank.
