Mikel Arteta has decided on an Arsenal player’s future after their Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Crystal Palace.
The Gunners came from behind to win 3-2, with Gabriel Jesus ending his Emirates goal drought with a stunning hat-trick, propelling Arteta’s team into the semi-finals.
Arteta made several changes, leaving Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, and Kai Havertz on the bench for the match. ..Continue Reading
There was a surprising start for left-back Kieran Tierney, who made his first appearance for the club in 19 months.
Before Wednesday, his last start for Arsenal was a 3-0 loss to Brighton in May 2023. He suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Scotland at Euro 2024 but recovered and returned to full training before making the bench for seven matches.
Tierney played for 69 minutes but had to leave the game due to another injury. Following the match, David Ornstein of The Athletic reported that Tierney will be leaving the club.
Due to his injury history, Arsenal has decided not to activate the 12-month extension option in his contract. The deadline for triggering the extension has passed, and Tierney’s contract will expire at the end of the season.
In January, he will have the option to discuss a pre-contract with overseas clubs, and a permanent deal is also possible when the transfer window reopens.
His former club Celtic appears to be the favorite to re-sign the 27-year-old, with the Scottish Sun reporting that they are considering a deal to bring him back next month.
Tierney, who spent last season in La Liga with Real Sociedad, also has interest from clubs in England.
Arteta had been complimentary about Tierney in a recent press conference, saying: “He is ready, he’s training really well and he’s going to have an opportunity for sure.
“The way the team is looking at the moment, he is going to do that for that reason and because he’s earned it. The way he’s behaved, the way he’s been with us because he’s willing to do it and when that happens, you have to give those opportunities to players.”
Tierney signed from Celtic for a fee of £25m in 2019 and has gone on to play 125 matches for Arsenal.
