Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has seemingly closed the door on a move to sign Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney, with a move for Chelsea defender Lewis Hall set to end their summer transfer business.
The Scottish defender has fallen down the pecking order in north London following the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jurrien Timber in recent windows, while both Gabriel Magalhaes and Takehiro Tomiyasu also remain as options for the left-back role also.
A recent injury for summer signing Timber however may well force us to reconsider our stance on Tierney, who has been a top performer during his entire stay at the Emirates, but without the guarantee of regular first team football, the Scot may continue to push for the exit door. When Oleks makes his return to fitness he will no doubt take up his place as our main option on the left, with his adaptable style of play a huge plus for Mikel Arteta’s system, but we won’t be keen to allow ourselves to weaken our squad.
With Newcastle boss Howe claiming that they are set to end their pursuit to strengthen, by insisting that their move for Chelsea’s Hall will close out their business when talking in his press conference ahead of their clash with Man City: “It’s a loan deal. He’s a player I like – very versatile with really good potential. Let’s see what happens today. If we do bring a player in (Hall), that will be our transfer business concluded, unless injuries happen.”
You can understand why a player like Tierney would want to leave, as he would improve the back line of most teams in the world, but finds himself of the wrong style of play to Mikel Arteta. KT was touted as a future Arsenal captain, and has been a top professional during his time with us, and he deserves to be playing regularly for a top side.
It seems a little crazy to think that there appears to be limited interest in his signature, with him only being 26 and proven to be amongst the best in his position in the world, but it could be more down to the fact that football is changing, and others are less in want of the an old-school performer, despite his strengths.
Do you believe that clubs are put off by his injury record, his style of play, or do you think that losing his place to Zinchenko has simply downgraded his stature in the game?
Patrick
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The whole story surrounding this lad is sad, when did us become so cold.
This is certainly a different era from the injury prone Santi Cozola days.
Good news as Newcastle are backing out.
We need him with the Timber injury.
Perhaps the most thoughtful piece Ihave read from you Patrick. And welcome for being so too. I think you make a pertinent point for other top level clubs, in that the role of the old style full back has definitely changed and that full backs are no longer the likes of Dixon Winterburn, top defenders whose job when in possession was simply to give theball to our far more creative players. I much hope we will keep Tierney and I believe we will ,partly for the reasons I give, THAT YOU FIRST MENTIONED, but probably only for the time being.
It seems clear to me that he is DEFINITELY NOT in MAs longer term plans.