Barcelona and Real Madrid have reportedly been handed a major blow in pursuit of Kieran Tierney, who is intent on staying put at Arsenal.
According to a report by football.london, Kieran Tierney has no interest in leaving Arsenal in the summer transfer window despite courting interest from two of the biggest clubs in Europe. Barcelona and Real Madrid had been keen on signing the Arsenal defender ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Kieran Tierney joined Arsenal from Celtic in August 2019 and has since been a key figure for the Gunners. Despite being hampered by a few injuries in his first season at the Emirates, the Scottish international has done well to establish a strong foothold in the north Londoners’ first-team setup.
To date, the 24-year-old has turned out 87 times for Arsenal, chipping in with four goals and 12 assists in the process. Tierney’s exploits have not gone unnoticed, with some of the most high profile clubs across Europe, including Barcelona and Real Madrid, setting their sights on him.
The interest from Barcelona comes in the wake of Jordi Alba’s advancing age. While the veteran Spanish international has been resurgent under the tutelage of Xavi Hernandez, he is well into his thirties and has shown signs of age catching up with him. And with Alejandro Balde yet to settle down in the first-team squad at Camp Nou, Barcelona should invest in a top-class left-back.
Tierney has thus emerged as a viable target for Barcelona heading into the summer transfer window, especially with priority target Jose Gaya unlikely to arrive at Camp Nou. But the Catalan giants face stiff competition from Real Madrid in the race to sign Tierney from Arsenal.
Recent reports have claimed that the Merengues are preparing an offer to prise the Scot away from Arsenal in the summer transfer window. Real Madrid’s eagerness to snap up Tierney stems from Marcelo’s uncertain future at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Real Madrid captain’s contract expiring in the summer transfer window.
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But neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid will be able to land Tierney, with the 24-year-old uninterested in leaving Arsenal. Tierney is content and settled in a growing project at the Emirates and intends to honour his Arsenal contract, which runs until June 2026. So, Barcelona and Real Madrid will need to set sights on alternate options, and it remains to be seen who they end up pursuing.