£30m Premier League star ‘bids farewell’ ahead of ‘expected’ Newcastle United move

Arsenal fans are left wondering if Kieran Tierney has bid farewell ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Scotland international is heavily tipped to leave the Gunners in the coming months after losing his left-back spot to Oleksandr Zinchenko. Tierney made just six league starts in 2022-23, including just two since Boxing Day.

Newcastle United and Aston Villa are among the clubs interested in the 25-year-old. It was claimed by The Times’ Gary Jacob earlier this month that the former Celtic man was expected to move to St James’ Park.

And according to Football.London, there was a sign Tierney had bid farewell on the final day of the Premier League season. At the end of their 5-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tierney stood on his own in front of the Arsenal supporters and applauded them.

Tierney moved to Emirates Stadium from Celtic for £25million in 2019. He’s struggled with injuries during that time but remained fit and available throughout the 22-23 season.

Even with Zinchenko injured in recent weeks, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has opted to play Jakub Kiwior out of position and ahead of Tierney.

Tierney’s former teammate Kris Commons believes that was the last straw and admitted 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 said. “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.

“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.

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