Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has obvious £30m transfer decision to make after Man City win
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta now has an easy transfer decision to make following Sunday's Community Shield victory.
Arsenal began their season by triumphing over Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday. However, it wasn't a great day for Kieran Tierney and Mikel Arteta now has an obvious transfer decision to make over the Scotland international.
Tierney was linked with a move away from Arsenal earlier this summer. Newcastle were interested in signing him as the Gunners attempted to bring in around £30m for his signature.
Tierney was once a firm fan favourite but there is a feeling now that his days at the club are numbered. If Arsenal can find a suitor for him in the final weeks of the window, it may be best for all parties that he moves on.
Arteta may struggle to get the £30m initially wanted but, at 26 years of age, there is still plenty of value in the left-back. He can still be a top player, even if the Emirates is not the right place for him at the moment.
Tierney was firmly Arsenal's first-choice left-back for a couple of seasons. His attitude to the game was infectious for supporters and he was dubbed by many to be a future captain.
However, injuries have affected his time at the club and perhaps played a part in why Arteta brought in Oleksandr Zinchenko last summer. Zinchenko is not a conventional full-back and plays in an inverted role, coming into midfield and boosting numbers in that area of the pitch.
That does not come naturally to Tierney and he does not look comfortable doing it. The signs weren't good early last season when, in the absence of Zinchenko, Arteta picked the right-footed Takehiro Tomiyasu at times over Tierney.
Arteta said in July that the former Celtic star remains in his plans. The Spaniard said: "He is in our plans, and as you said, he came on really well (on Saturday).
Don't miss...
Man Utd 'refusing to give Rasmus Hojlund a shirt number' as plan comes to light [GOSSIP]
Chelsea chief Boehly breaks promise to Alvarez as rivals set to seal transfer [REPORT]
Erik ten Hag to let Matej Kovar 'leave' after £47m decision as trio circles [RUMOUR]
"It's not the first time, every time he's played in pre-season, he's been really good. This is why we want to create competition in the team, raise the level of each individual and that's going to be a huge benefit for the team to get to another level."
However, he was criticised for his role in City's goal on Sunday, giving the ball away before Carlton Palmer's stunning strike. But to make things worse for Tierney, there is now another player ahead of him.
Jurrien Timber has boosted Arteta's options at right-back and centre-back. But the Dutchman has often featured at left-back in pre-season and did so again at Wembley.
Once Zinchenko is back from injury, Tierney could easily find himself fourth or even fifth-choice left-back, with Jakub Kiwior another option in that position. Despite Arteta saying Tierney is in his plans, it would not be a surprise to see him leave in the coming weeks.