Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta dismissed talk of an impending exit for Kieran Tierney as rumours over a return to Celtic grow.
Tierney will become a free agent when his contract expires this summer, leaving the January transfer window as the last available time for Arsenal to receive a transfer fee for the 27-year-old left-back. Injuries have plagued Tierney’s career and limited his impact at Real Sociedad during a loan spell last season.
The Scotland international has only made one appearance for the Gunners this term – starting in the midweek Carabao Cup victory over Crystal Palace. Reports emerged this week claiming that Arsenal had decided not to trigger the one-year extension clause in his contract, prompting speculation over a reunion with his boyhood club, Celtic.
Arteta was quizzed about Tierney’s future ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Palace‘s Selhurst Park on Saturday. « At the moment he’s here with us, » the Spanish boss insisted. « I wouldn’t play a player that is thinking about leaving or is not committed to us.
« He’s fully committed, he’s enjoying things after a long period again with a really tough injury. Live the moment. He’s a big part of the squad now. He deserves to be in the squad, he played really well the other day after such a long time. That’s the only thing I can say. »
The Arsenal manager added that Tierney had not brought up the topic of a transfer away, but revealed in the process that the Scot has previously pushed for an exit.
« He hasn’t come to me and said, ‘I want to move,' » Arteta noted. « When in the past we had any doubts, he came to me and said, ‘I think it’s my time to move.’ This hasn’t been the case yet. »
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, who spent three years working with Tierney in Glasgow, refused to be drawn in by the rumours. « We will never speak about a player, especially a young player who is at another club, » the Northern Irish manager bluntly retorted this week.
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