Kieran Tierney (Getty Images)
Former Rangers star Kevin Kyle has urged Manchester City to make a move for Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney instead of Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell in the summer, according to The Glasgow Times.
Having risen through the ranks of Celtic’s youth system, Tierney, 23, enjoyed success with the club in the last decade. He was one of the key members in their title-winning campaigns and also helped them lift three Scottish League Cups. After 170 appearances for the Glasgow-based team, he was signed by Arsenal last summer.
Though he initially failed to make an impact due to his struggle with injury, he has been a standout performer for the Gunners in recent months. The Scottish international has received rave reviews for his performances and is highly talented.
Pep Guardiola’s side have failed to challenge Liverpool for the league title as the Reds went way ahead of them in the race to seal the title. They haven’t been dominant this season and their inconsistency has been highlighted throughout the campaign. And that is evident from the 9 losses they had endured this term, which is more than last season, where they lost just 4 times.
One of the reasons for the inconsistency is the lack of stability at the back. Their defence has not been the same since Vincent Kompany’s exit last summer. Aymeric Laporte was meant to lead the backline but the Frenchman fell victim to a major injury. City struggled to make amends for their loss and their backline woes still continue. Thus, the manager should make changes to their defensive line.
However, bringing in Tierney would not be helpful for both the club and the player. City already have three left-backs in their ranks in Benjamin Mendy, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Angelino. Frenchman Mendy has been a regular in the squad but needs to improve his quality.
Zinchenko, who struggled with injury, is a highly-talented left-back and is just 23. He is capable of doing well in the future. And Angelino has also returned from his loan spell with RB Leipzig. With three options on the left side of the defence, signing another left-back would just make them waste their resources.
And if Tierney joins them, he would have to fight for the spot alongside the three available options and if he doesn’t get a chance, his progress would be hampered. City boss Guardiola has several options at his disposal and should look to get the best out of them.
With plenty of options at the back, City signing another left-back would not be a wise decision. And Tierney moving to Etihad would definitely hamper his progress as he has certainly claimed his spot in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI. Hence, they should keep their eyes off the Scottish international and instead, bring in reinforcements to other key areas.
