Newcastle United are heavily linked with signing Kieran Tierney from Arsenal this summer, but a new report claims that Toon boss Eddie Howe is suddenly having second thoughts about a deal.
With Newcastle looking to sign a new left-back ahead of next season, Tierney has emerged as the favourite. It has been reported that he is expected to join the Magpies, with Howe a big fan of the Scotland international.
Tierney looks likely to leave Arsenal this summer, having struggled for minutes at the Emirates. He lost his place in the side to Oleksandr Zinchenko, while he did not even start their recent defeat to Nottingham Forest when the Ukrainian defender was unavailable.
It was a baffling decision from Mikel Arteta, and one that pointed towards him being sold this summer, with Newcastle the favourites to secure his signature.
However, the latest offering from Football Transfers casts some doubt.
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Newcastle unsure about Kieran Tierney deal
According to Football Transfers, Howe has reservations about signing Tierney due to his injury record.
They add that Newcastle are only willing to pay £18million for the 25-year-old. In contrast, Arsenal want at least £35million.
This report does not add up
The claims from Football Transfers do not make sense to us. It seems odd that Howe would suddenly have concerns over Tierney’s fitness record when he has been fit all season.
Sure, he has had long-term injuries in the past, but every other report has talked up how much Howe likes the left-back and wants to bring him to Newcastle.
On top of that, claims of the Magpies wanting to pay less than £20million seem massively wide of the mark. Obviously the club want to sign their targets for as little as possible, but there is no way Arsenal are going to sell Tierney for just £18million.
He cost them £25million in 2019, while his current contract runs until 2026. With three years remaining on his deal, there is simply no reason why Arsenal would sell him for a loss.