Arsenal are potentially just one game away from being crowned Premier League champions, which is an incredible achievement considering where they were just a few years ago.
When Mikel Arteta was appointed manager in December 2019, the Gunners were down in tenth place and miles off the top four, let alone top spot.
However, over the next few years, the Spaniard totally overhauled the squad and turned them into one of the best teams in Europe.
While the majority of the players at the club in 2019 are now gone, there are a few leftovers, including one who is now worth considerably less money than Eddie Nketiah and, as a result, should be moved on this summer.
Kieran Tierney's Arsenal career
The player in question is former fan favourite and Scotland international Kieran Tierney, who joined the club in the summer of 2019 for around £25m from Scottish giants Celtic.
In his first campaign in London, the hardworking full-back made 24 appearances for Unai Emery and Arteta, in which he scored one goal and provided four assists, but in just his 11th game of the season against West Ham United, he dislocated his shoulder, which saw him miss 19 games, before coming back and starting in the club's FA Cup triumph against Chelsea.
Overall, while the team fared poorly in the league, winning the FA Cup in his first season in North London represented a successful debut campaign for the club, but his time-out injured was a dire sign of things to come.
The following year, the Douglas-born "baller", as he was described by scout Jacek Kulig, made 38 appearances across all competitions but again missed 19 games through injury before missing another 17 matches the following year due to ankle problems and knee surgery.
Last year was the first season during his time at the club in which the 26-year-old didn't suffer a single injury that would have caused him to miss a game. Yet out of his 36 appearances, only 15 were starts, as the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko saw Arteta change the way he wanted his team to play.
2019/20
25 (21)
19
2020/21
38 (32)
19
2021/22
25 (24)
17
2022/23
36 (15)
0
2023/24 (Loan)
23 (14)
25 (Ongoing)
With it clear the Scot wasn't going to get many starts in 2023/24, he joined La Liga side Real Sociedad in the summer, and while the 5 foot 11 ace has been able to make 22 appearances for the Basque outfit, in which he's provided two assists, he has once again been plagued with injury, missing 25 games and counting.
So, with injuries still a significant problem and his route to the first team no clearer, it feels like it's time to sell the left-back this summer before his value plummets any further.
Kieran Tierney's valuation in 2024
According to CIES Football Observatory, Tierney is worth just £9m, or a whopping £16m less than the Gunners paid for him five years ago.
1
Ben White
£34m
£50m
2
Jakub Kiwior
£26m
£20m
3
Oleksandr Zinchenko
£17m
£32m
4
Jurrien Timber
£13m
£34m
4
Takehiro Tomiyasu
£13m
£20m
5
Kieran Tierney
£9m
£25m
6
Cedric Soares
£4m
Free
His current valuation will also mean he's only the fifth most valuable full-back at the Emirates when he returns from his loan in the summer.
If that wasn't damning enough, he's also worth considerably less than the out-of-favour Eddie Nketiah, who CIES currently value at around £34m, or a massive £25m more than the Scotsman.
Now, this rather large valuation on the Englishman's head may leave some of you scratching your own, but it is likely because his £100k-per-week contract is set to run until June 2027 and the fact that he's a homegrown player, which is always a bonus for Premier League sides.
Additionally, while he certainly isn't a prolific striker, his record of 45 goal involvements in 168 appearances isn't terrible, and with regular starts for a mid-table or below team, he could be a productive top-flight striker.
Appearances
168
Goals
38
Assists
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.26
With all that said, it's still not a great look that Tierney is valued so much less than the club's third choice – at best – striker, and with no signs of his injury problems going away, Arteta and Co should cut their losses and move him on in the summer, which based on recent murmurings, could be precisely what they do.
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