Newcastle United expected to sign Premier League star amid late Aston Villa approach

Newcastle United remain frontrunners to sign Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, despite strong interest from Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

The Scotland international is ready to leave North London this summer after losing his starting spot to summer signing Oleksandr Zinchenko. Tierney made just six league starts in 2022-23, including just two since Boxing Day.

Indeed, it was even suggested by Football.London that Tierney had bid farewell to Arsenal after their final day win over Wolverhampton Wanderers as he stood on his own in front of the supporters to applaud them.

The Times report that Villa plan to rival the Magpies for Tierney. Unai Emery was Arsenal manager when the defender arrived from Celtic for £25million in 2019.

However, it’s claimed St James’ Park remains the 25-year-old’s expected destination. An offer of around £30million could be accepted by Mikel Arteta, who is open to letting Tierney go.

Tierney’s former teammate Kris Commons believes a potential move to Newcastle “makes a lot of sense”.

“I think [Newcastle] is a move which would make a lot of sense and tick a lot of boxes for both the club and the player himself,” Commons told the Daily Record. “From Newcastle’s point of view, they would be getting one of the best left-backs in Europe, a born winner, and a guy who could be a mainstay in the team for the next 10 years.

“Tierney is still only 25 years old. His peak years are still ahead of him. He’s already proven at the top level with club and country and also has Champions League experience.

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“That’s something which Newcastle will be desperate to add in the summer. Players who have Champions League experience and can come in and immediately improve their starting XI.

“Tierney ticks both those boxes quite emphatically - and, crucially, I also think the move would suit him on a personal level.

“We know he has suffered from homesickness in the past. It’s something he has spoken openly about. By moving from London to Newcastle, he would be far closer to his family. His family would only be two or three hours up the road in Glasgow.

“He would also be moving to one of the richest and most ambitious clubs in Europe, where he knows he would play week in, week out.”

Eddie Howe’s side have been a little light at left-back. Dan Burn is a recognised central defender but has played most of the campaign there, while summer signing Matt Targett has been restricted to just six Premier League starts.