according to birmingham liveAston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Kieran Tierney from Arsenal at the end of the season. The Villans are looking to bring some decent reinforcements to the backline, with the Scotland international still a potential summer target.
However, the Scotland defender has reportedly said he would only move to clubs that qualify for European competition as he wants to play at the highest level.
Tierney’s growing struggles at Arsenal so far this season
Tierney has had a tough time at the Emirates Stadium as he trails Oleksandr Zinchenko in Mikel Arteta’s standings. The 25-year-old has scored just once in 27 appearances for the Gunners on all fronts this season.
The Scotland star has mostly come off the bench, which explains why he averaged just 0.6 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 0.8 clearances, 0.3 shots and 0.2 key passes per game in the Premier League.However, his passing ability is relatively good after completing 77.8% of his pass attempts in top-level football (data from who scored).
His current contract with the north London club expires in the summer of 2026. Therefore, it is not easy for Aston Villa to sign Tierney at a low price this summer.
Should Unai Emery take him to Aston Villa?
Tierney is a solid ball handler who can make a couple of interceptions in time for his team when he comes on the pitch with regularity and confidence. He doesn’t mind clearing hazards when needed and can provide decent support from wide field.
The 35-time Scotland international can make a few energetic runs down the left but will need to work on being efficient in the final third. Primarily a left-back, Tierney is still versatile enough to play as a left winger, or as a centre-back should his manager ask him to. We can expect Tierney to add more strength to Aston Villa’s defensive department, and he can also bring more competition to the backline.
It would therefore be wise for the West Midlands club to bring him in during the summer transfer window. However, Unai Emery will have to do a lot of convincing and may have to offer him a starting spot in order to get his signature. Still, if the Villans manage to finish in the top seven of the league table, their bid could carry more weight.
