Newcastle are confident that they are in pole position to land Kieran Tierney in a £30million deal at the end of the season, with sources close to the Scotland defender adamant that a summer exit from Arsenal is looking increasingly likely.
Tierney, 25, is a firm fan favourite at the Emirates and had established himself as the club's first-choice left-back before the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has leapfrogged him in the pecking order this term.
There has already been plenty of speculation that Mikel Arteta could be persuaded to allow Tierney to move on in the summer. And if the Spaniard does elect to cash in on the former Celtic man, it's unlikely the left-back will be short of suitors.
According to The Sun, Newcastle are one of the sides who are already plotting a summer move for Tierney - and the Magpies firmly believe they are in pole position to land the Arsenal man.
Eddie Howe is in the market for a new left-back ahead of the 2023/24 campaign despite defending Dan Burn from criticism in recent weeks. Burn, who is a centre-back by trade, has been keeping Matt Targett out of the fold in recent weeks.
But the Magpies chief is eager to acquire an upgrade for next year in a bid to keep the club on an upward trajectory following their remarkable domestic exploits this year.
A move to St James' Park could appeal to Tierney, who moved to the Emirates in a £25million deal back in 2019 - particularly if Newcastle can maintain their grip on fourth place between now and the end of the season to seal a stunning a return to the Champions League.
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Arteta challenged Tierney to embrace the competition for places last month and fight his way back into the team. He said: “He’s [Tierney] played under me a lot. He understands the situation and he needs to challenge the situation.”
But former Celtic boss Neil Lennon claimed that Tierney was deserving of a more substantial role at Arsenal earlier this month and insisted that he was a better defender than Zinchenko. He said: "I think Tierney will be used between now and the end of the season and I think he is going to play a massive part in Mikel's plans.
"I watched him play left centre-half for Scotland against Spain and he was outstanding. He’s a brilliant player who has struggled with niggly injuries over the years and you hope he can get a good run of games.
"I really think he is a top defender and I think the closer Arsenal get towards the end of the season, the more of a role I think he will play. I like Zinchenko, and I think he is a fabulous player, but I'm not convinced he's as good a defender as Kieran."
