Kieran Tierney has admitted he has not discussed his Arsenal future with Mikel Arteta ahead of his return from a loan spell with Real Sociedad.
Tierney joined the Gunners from Celtic in 2019 and quickly cemented his place as the club’s primary left-back. However, his status changed with the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City in 2022.
After featuring in only one game across all competitions last season, the 26-year-old opted to join La Liga outfit Real Sociedad on loan in the summer.
In a recent interview with talkSPORT, Tierney expressed his sorrow over the impending conclusion of his stint in Spain, reflecting on his 15 appearances under manager Imanol Alguacil.
“Honestly, this is an incredible experience,” said Tierney. “It’s a shame that there is so little time left, there are six or seven weeks left of the season.
“It probably worked out best for both parties [Arsenal and Real Sociedad] that I got out, get a new experience – get some game time.
“When you don’t play, you do lose a bit of your confidence, so to go over here and get that back has been great.”
Even though he’s poised to head back to north London in the summer, Tierney also confessed that he hasn’t had a discussion with Arteta regarding his future at the Emirates. Nevertheless, the defender remains keen to win his place back in the Gunners starting XI, drawing inspiration from William Saliba’s resurgence following numerous loan spells in France.
“In football you never know [what can happen]. It’s a bit strange that you can come back the way [William] Saliba did. It is strange to be on loan for four years and then return to play.
“Football is crazy, so we’ll see. I’m not talking to Arteta, he’s busy there.”
Tierney marked his full debut for Real Sociedad in a 5–3 victory over Granada, earning high praise from Real Sociedad boss Alguacil, who described his performance as ‘exquisite’. He continued to impress with another strong showing against Real Madrid in September. Unfortunately, he was later impeded by two hamstring injuries, one in September and another in January.
