Scottish international Kieran Tierney has completed his loan move to Spanish outfit Real Sociedad but has the 26-year-old’s departure left Arsenal a little short of options at left-back?
Tierney featured in 27 Premier League fixtures for the Gunners last season, though the ex-Celtic starlet earned just six starts in the top tier as he relinquished his place in the team to the technically gifted Oleksandr Zinchenko.
This season, the now injured Jurrien Timber, versatile Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, Poland’s Jakub Kiwior and even Thomas Parteyhave been deployed at left back at different junctures by Mikel Arteta with Zinchenko kept in reserve, and it already looks as though the Spaniard to struggling to settle on a solution for that position.
With the transfer window set to slam shut later this week, could Arteta be tempted to dip into the market one last time to sign a specialist left back to replace Kieran Tierney?
Who could replace Tierney at Arsenal?
Lino Sousa
Arsenal could have a ready-made replacement for Tierney already in house in the form of teenage prodigy Lino Sousa. The Portuguese starlet, who arrived from WBA last summer, is the archetypal modern fullback, blessed with pace, tactical intelligence and plenty of forward thrust.
The 18-year-old has already starred in the Gunners’ under age ranks and he looks as though he already has the mettle to face bigger challenges in the first team. Sousa got a glimpse of first team action when he was named on the bench against Brentford in September 2022 and his involvement against the Bees was an indication of just how highly rated he is by Mikel Arteta.
Sousa has been included in first-team training sessions already in 2023/24, and he could be handed some opportunities to shine in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup.
Borna Sosa
Stuttgart fullback Borna Sosa has been continuously linked with a move to Arsenal over the past two years and the classy Croatian would certainly tick plenty of boxes as far as Mikel Arteta is concerned.
The 25-year-old has been an assist machine in the Bundesliga for several seasons, hitting 24 of them in his last three campaigns there in total. Sosa is also an established Croatian international with 14 caps and isn’t short on top class pedigree.
Sosa has been on the radar of a number of top clubs around Europe, though nobody has taken the plunge on the attack-minded fullback yet. With a wicked left foot and pinpoint delivery from wide positions, the Dinamo Zagreb academy product has the tools to be a success in the Premier League
Kyle Walker-Peters
While Kyle Walker-Peters is primarily recognised as a right back, the Southampton defender has been known to fill in on the opposite flank and the 26-year-old is comfortable enough in possession to handle the in vogue inverted fullback role if required.
The Saints star, who was an established Premier League performer before Southampton were relegated, has collected two caps for England since last year. Walker-Peters came through the youth ranks at Tottenham, though his time with Arsenal’s bitter North London rivals wouldn’t be seen as much of an issue if he joined the Gunners.
