Newcastle United could secure themselves an ‘astute signing’ if they can lure Kieran Tierney away from Arsenal, journalist Pete O’Rourke has told GIVEMESPORT.
If Newcastle are looking to continue battling for the Champions League places next season, reinforcements may be necessary in the summer transfer window.
Newcastle United transfer news – Kieran Tierney
A recent report from Football Insider has claimed that Arsenal are willing to listen to offers of around £30m for the 25-year-old, with Newcastle one of the clubs considering making a move this summer.
Mikel Arteta has refused to rule out a potential sale of Tierney at the end of the season. When asked about his future at the club, he said: “I don’t know, I’m not thinking about that. I’m thinking about what’s best for the team and the players who earn the right to play minutes that they all deserve.”
Tierney has only started four Premier League games this season, as per FBref, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him actively pushing for a move in the summer.
It’s understood that the Arsenal hierarchy have accepted that Tierney may not be happy with the amount of game time he has received this season, so are unlikely to stand in his way.
What has O’Rourke said on Tierney?
O’Rourke believes that luring Tierney to the Magpies would be an astute signing, and could offer Howe a more attacking option at left-back.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “He wants to be playing regularly and if Newcastle are able to offer that to him, I think it could be a really astute signing and I think he would be an upgrade on what they’ve got at left-back right now.
“There’s been criticism for Dan Burn that maybe he doesn’t offer a lot going forward at left-back. Tierney would definitely offer something going forward for Newcastle if they did pursue a move.”
Would Tierney be a good signing for Newcastle?
Looking at Tierney’s contribution for Arsenal last season, before they signed Oleksandr Zinchenko, the 25-year-old made 4.93 progressive passes, 1.13 passes into the penalty area, and provided 3.71 crosses per game, as per FBref.
Despite not being the most creative player in the squad, Tierney always offered width for Arsenal and is a more traditional full-back, compared to Zinchenko.
Comparing that to Burn this season, the Newcastle defender only averages 0.53 crosses per game and isn’t much of a threat going forward on the left-hand side.
The Geordie defender is naturally a centre-back, so signing a player with more history playing as a full-back would make a lot of sense for Newcastle.
