Arsenal prefer permanent sale or loan with obligation to buy for Kieran Tierney

Arsenal prefer a permanent sale or a loan with an obligation to buy for Kieran Tierney, according to The Athletic.

The Scottish left-back lost his starting spot to Oleksandr Zinchenko last season. He made 27 Premier League appearances, but only six of those came from the starting line-up.

His situation seems unlikely to improve in the new campaign. Zinchenko was unavailable for the Community Shield, but manager Mikel Arteta chose to start Jurrien Timber.

Meanwhile, the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior were also preferred over him during pre-season, and the Gunners are now open to considering his potential exit.

Real Sociedad have recently expressed an interest in signing Tierney on loan, but Arsenal would prefer a permanent sale or a loan with an obligation to buy, as things stand.

Tierney could leave Arsenal for the right offer

The 26-year-old was one of the club’s undisputed starters when fit, but his situation has drastically changed over the past 12 months with the acquisition of Zinchenko.

Arteta clearly prefers the Ukraine international for his ability to play as an inverted full-back. Zinchenko has been impressive with his clever movement and passing in the final third.

Tierney is better in terms of crossing and defensive situations, but now faces fierce competition for his spot even when Zinchenko is unavailable to make the matchday squad.

The manager has played the likes of Timber, Kiwior and Tomiyasu in the role since pre-season. Timber is not a specialist, but the new signing suits Arteta with his fine distribution.

Hence, we are not surprised over Arsenal’s stance over Tierney. They are not actively looking to offload him, but a deal could materialise if Sociedad or any other club meet their demands.

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