Ex-Newcastle United target ‘made available’ for 'less than £10m' after five seasons with Arsenal

Former Newcastle United transfer target Kieran Tierney could be available for less than £10m this summer after a five-season stay at Premier League giants Arsenal.

The former Celtic captain was heavily linked with a move to St James’ Park last summer as he dropped out of Mikel Arteta’s first team plans following the arrival of Jurrien Timber.

The 27-year-old Scottish international is renowned for his blistering pace and ability to bomb forward and create chances from the left back position. This at the time made him a key target for Eddie Howe’s side, but the Magpies were ultimately put off by his hefty £30m price tag, which was deemed to be too expensive given his injury record.

With no clubs willing to meet that valuation, the left back joined Real Sociedad on a one-season loan deal, which saw him play 26 times in all competitions, including two appearances in the Champions League. Tierney struggled with a hamstring injury during his time in the Basque Country but was still able to help his team to a sixth place finish while also making the Scotland squad for Euro 2024.

Following his return to Arsenal, Tierney has reportedly been told that he remains surplus to requirements to the Emirates Stadium, and reports from The Chronicle now claim that the left back could be sold for as little as £10m this summer to help the Gunners raise some much needed funds.

Whether the Magpies would look to rekindle their interest in Tierney given the much lower asking price remains to be seen following the £28m signing of Lewis Hall last summer and the potential addition this year of Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly, who despite predominantly being a centre back, has proven he can play on the left on occasion.

Former Scotland and Celtic team-mate Stephen O'Donnell feels the defender still has plenty to offer and in a glowing review explained: "Kieran, if he stays fit, is one of the best full-backs in the world, without question

 "He is a top player, a top guy and if he is playing we will certainly be a better outfit with him. He has great qualities. I still found it a bit strange what happened to him at Arsenal. Obviously, I wasn't there, but he was one of their players of the year the season before and then he goes out on loan to Sociedad.”

"When he first broke through at Celtic he was incredible and to then move on and go where he's been is great. At one point he was linked with Real Madrid and that was maybe a 'what if' moment if he managed to stay fit, but you can't have everything. I'm honestly really delighted to see him back and see him going to the Euros. Hopefully we see him kick on."

The prospect of Tierney’s move to Newcastle is likely to depend on the future of Matt Targett, and whether Howe still sees left back as a priority going forward. Targett, like Tierney, has been the victim of injury struggles in recent times and has reportedly been made available for transfer, according to The Athletic.

The 28-year-old, who joined Newcastle in the summer of 2022, has been the subject of interest from former club Southampton, where he could potentially revive his partnership with winger Ryan Fraser.