Newcastle United are in pole position to land Arsenal star Kieran Tierney as Eddie Howe continues to look for quality reinforcements ahead of the Magpies’ return to the UEFA Champions League.
Newcastle United will prioritise a move for Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney after Antonee Robinson opted to put pen to paper on a new five-year Fulham deal. That is according to Football Insider, who say Eddie Howe is keen on bringing in a specialist left-back.
Newcastle United have only signed one senior player this summer, with Sandro Tonali joining from AC Milan in a €70 million move. With Eddie Howe currently preparing his squad for a huge return to the UEFA Champions League, it is likely Newcastle will sign a couple more first-team players before the transfer window slams shut.
It seems Newcastle are pushing for the exciting capture of English left-winger Harvey Barnes from Leicester City. Howe also hopes to find a new left-back who is more mobile and attack-minded than current option Dan Burn, who filled the role as a makeshift defender last season. But questions remain as to whether Burn will continue as the starting left-back next season.
Newcastle’s two-man shortlist to improve the position featured Antonee Robinson of Fulham and Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney. Robinson signed a new five-year contract with Fulham on Friday, forcing Newcastle to focus all of their efforts on securing Tierney.
Newcastle have long been linked with Tierney. But those links have gone quiet recently. Regardless, they are in pole position to sign the Scotsman, who was also the subject of a transfer enquiry from Manchester City earlier this summer. Previous reports suggest that Arsenal will demand a fee in the region of £25 million for Tierney this summer.
Southampton duo Tino Livramento and Kyle Walker-Peters have both been pursued by the Magpies recently but are better suited to playing at right-back, while Tierney is a natural on the left.
If available for a reasonable price, the Scotland international would be a great signing for Newcastle United. The ex-Celtic star has been somewhat unlucky with injuries and the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Tierney made 36 appearances in all competitions last season as Mikel Arteta’s side emerged as surprise title contenders. However, many of these appearances came as substitutes as the 26-year-old saw his game time shrink following the arrival of Zinchenko, with the Arsenal boss preferring an inverted full-back on the left flank.
At 26, his peak years are still ahead of him, and he is likely to improve further with coaching under Howe. The potential pursuit of a new left-back will also inevitably cast doubt over Matt Targett’s long-term future on Tyneside, even if he has proven himself capable of also filling in at right-back.
That being said, Howe & co. are working on a strict budget this summer due to FFP concerns. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Newcastle United match Arsenal’s £25 million valuation of Tierney.
