Newcastle United ‘lay groundwork’ to seal £30m deal for Aston Villa target

Newcastle United are confident of beating Aston Villa to Kieran Tierney’s signature - should they decide to push through a move this summer.

The left-back is expected to leave Arsenal after losing his starting spot to Oleksandr Zinchenko. Tierney made just six Premier League starts in 2022-23, including just two since Boxing Day.

The Magpies were the first to register their interest in signing the Scotland international a couple of months ago with Eddie Howe’s side a little light at left-back. Dan Burn is a recognised central defender but has played most of the recent campaign there, while Matt Targett has been restricted to just six league starts.

Aston Villa have since joined the race for Tierney - it was their manager Unai Emery who brought the player to North London in 2019, however, according to i News, Newcastle have already laid the groundwork for a move for the 26-year-old.

Tierney moved to Arsenal from Celtic for £25million four years ago, and although he’s struggled with injuries during that time, he’s managed to remain fit and available throughout 22-23.

Speaking last month, Tierney’s former teammate Kris Commons said a potential switch to St James’ Park “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.”

The defender’s price tag is reportedly around the £30million mark.