NEW plans for Kieran Tierney

Kieran Tierney was once considered a potential future Arsenal captain, but during the end of 2021, Arteta did not make any public statement regarding his preference for the role.

This left me perplexed as to why it took him so long to select a captain and bring stability to the team.

The traditional and non-flashy style of leadership that Tierney possesses was precisely what Arsenal required.

Arteta’s plans

We now have an understanding of why Arteta took his time in selecting a captain and stabilizing the team.

It turns out that Arteta had a specific vision for how he wanted the team to play and the formation he wanted to use.

Specifically, he was looking for an inverted full back or a centreback who could push up into midfield when Arsenal were in possession of the ball.

In 2022, the club attempted to sign Lisandro Martinez to fill this role, and had they succeeded, Tierney may have remained a regular player in the team.

Martinez could play as a centreback who doubled up as a defensive midfielder, while Tierney could start as a left back who tucked in to be a centreback while Arsenal had the ball.

Martinez would have been a valuable addition to the squad with his impressive playing style. It was unfortunate that Martinez ended up signing with Manchester United because of his connection with Ten Hag.

Arsenal then went ahead and acquired Zinchenko from City instead.

This move turned out to be a stroke of luck, as Zinchenko seamlessly fit into Arteta’s tactical plans while also having a strong existing relationship with Gabriel Jesus.

Together, Zinchenko and Jesus were able to bring a winning mentality to the Arsenal dressing room more effectively.

GunnerBanana’s POV

The sequence of occurrences has resulted in Tierney being given fewer playing opportunities at Arsenal, which is a shame considering he is only 25 years old and deserves more minutes on the pitch.

Unfortunately, this is due to the tactical formation that Arteta has chosen to implement.

It appears that Tierney may be leaving the club this 2023 summer, and there are reports that Newcastle is interested in signing him for £40 million.

However, I believe that we could ask for more, as Tierney is yet to reach his prime. Perhaps a fee of £50 million would be more appropriate.

Newcastle certainly has the resources to make such a transfer happen, given the barrels and barrels of oil fuelling their sporting project.

COYG!