Kieran Tierney close to signing new long-term Arsenal contract
By Tom Gott
Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney has verbally agreed a new five-year contract, committing himself to the Gunners until 2026.
The Scot was one of the brightest parts of Arsenal's season last year, making 38 appearances in all competitions and chipping in with two goals and five assists.
Manager Mikel Arteta was understandably impressed with Tierney, and according to football.london, that feeling was shared by the Arsenal board, who are keen to reward the 24-year-old with a bumper new contract.
Technical director Edu has spoken with Tierney's representatives and has reached an agreement over a new five-year deal which is expected to be finalised in the coming days.
Tierney, who still has three years to run on his current deal, is understood to be delighted with the show of faith from his club, who see the Scot as a potential future captain somewhere down the line.
“I think he can be Arsenal captain as he has the respect and admiration of every member of the staff and every player,” Arteta has said previously.
“It is just the way he is. He does it in a natural way. He is a really shy boy as well but he represents all of us in the club; all of the values that we want to instil and are in the DNA in this club.”
Tierney will remain Arsenal's first-choice left-back next season, but the Gunners are understood to be on the lookout for a backup in the position. Currently, they have no other left-back in the squad, with winger Bukayo Saka and midfielder Granit Xhaka the current alternatives.
Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell and Hibernian’s Josh Doig have both been linked with moves to the Emirates recently, but Arsenal are expected to turn to someone with more Premier League experience and could dip their toe into the free agent market to find that.
Ryan Bertrand and Patrick van Aanholt are both available after leaving Southampton and Palace respectively, and both are believed to be on the club's radar. What we do know is that Arsenal are prepared to spend £250m on new signings, a clear indication of their backing for Arteta despite their struggles last season.