Kieran Tierney rates Arsenal's Premier League title chances and addresses his future

Kieran Tierney completed a season-long loan move from Arsenal to Real Sociedad last summer (Picture: Getty)

Kieran Tierney has refused to rule out the possibility that he could still have a future at Arsenal and believes the club have ‘every chance’ of ending their 20-year wait for a Premier League title this season.

The 26-year-old quickly established himself as a fan favourite amongst the Emirates faithful after completing a £25million switch from Celtic back in 2019, making 24 appearances across a promising debut season.

But fitness problems hampered Tierney’s progress in north London and the Scotland international fell out of favour under Mikel Arteta after Oleksandr Zinchenko arrived from Manchester City and nailed down his place at left-back last term.

Seeking regular playing time away from the Gunners, Tierney joined Real Sociedad on a season-long loan last August and the full-back has enjoyed his time in Spain, despite struggling with two separate hamstring injuries in September and January.

Tierney has over two years remaining on his current contract at Arsenal but it remains to be seen where the former Celtic man will be plying his trade next season, with Arteta yet to provide any assurances over his future.

In a wide-ranging interview to talkSPORT, Tierney revealed he had not even spoken with the Arsenal manager but suggested the door could still be open to a possible return to the club in the summer.

‘It’s hard to put a finger exactly on it [why he left Arsenal to join Real Sociedad on loan], but just the way things had developed at Arsenal, the way the team was going and what had happened last season with game-time etcetera…’ the Scot explained.

Tierney has not spoken with Arteta since moving to Spain (Picture: Getty)

‘It probably worked best for both parties that I got out and get a new experience, some game-time.

‘When you don’t play you do lose a bit of your confidence so to come over here and get that back as well has been great.’

Asked if a return to Arsenal could be on the cards, Tierney replied: ‘You never know in football. It’s probably quite rare that it happens when you come back from a loan.

‘Of course, you’ve got circumstances like Saliba where they’ve just come back and I don’t think he’s been out the team since.

‘But it’s maybe a bit different for someone who has played four years already and goes back, but you genuinely never know. Football is a mad place so let’s see what happens.’

The Scotland defender has made 21 appearances for Real Sociedad this season (Picture: Getty)

Pressed on whether he had kept in touch with Arteta, Tierney replied: ‘I’ve not spoken to him but he’s busy with a lot going on now and a lot to fight for with Arsenal.

‘But I keep in touch with some of the boys like [Aaron] Ramsdale and that.

‘But I was close to Matt Turner and Rob Holding and that and they’ve left as well so it’s a bit of a different changing room.’

The Gunners sit above Liverpool on goal difference at the top of the Premier League (Picture: Getty)

Tierney has enjoyed watching Arsenal’s progress from afar and is ‘100 per cent’ confident Arteta’s side have a chance of lifting the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004.

Asked whether Arsenal can win the title this season, Tierney responded: ‘I think they can.

‘I don’t know exactly the run-in for the three teams fighting for it, but I think they’re in a better position than last year and they’ve got more experience than last year.

‘I think their whole game has developed so much as well. Defensively they are solid, they don’t give much away.

‘If you can keep that record up then 100 per cent you’ve got every chance to go on and do it.’

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