Having nearly clinched Champions League qualification this season, Newcastle United are looking to bolster the ranks and are eyeing Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney for transfer.
Earlier this year, the Toon were said to be 'closely monitoring' the 25-year-old left-back, who was signed from Celtic for £25m in 2019.
And now, according to Football Insider, the Tyneside giants are poised to beat Manchester City and Aston Villa in their pursuit of the dynamic Scotsman, who has found regular minutes hard to come by since the £32m arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko last summer.
It is believed that away from a footballing standpoint, Tierney is attracted to the proposition of moving further up north and closer to his family in Scotland.
With a valuation of £30m, the Magpies might be wise to act swiftly and clinch his services with haste, especially considering the mounting interest in his name.
Should Newcastle sign Kieran Tierney?
The high-flying Premier League outfit require just a single point from their final two matches of the 22/23 term to cement a place in next year's Champions League group stage, ending a two-decade absence from the competition and emphasising the resounding success since the £300m PIF takeover in 2021.
The club's resurgence has been remarkable and manager Eddie Howe deserves all the plaudits for his crafting of a cohesive squad with trophy-winning credentials, also reaching the Carabao Cup final this season.
The return to European competition will bring added weight to the lofty season, and while Dan Burn has been an incredible servant on the defensive left flank this term, flourishing outside his natural position and integral to Newcastle's ascension since his £13m transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2022, Tierney would add a fresh dimension.
Despite only making six top-flight starts this season, the 37-cap Scotland international ranks among the top 27% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues for rate of goals, the top 23% for rate of assists, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 17% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, and these metrics would only blossom if provided a fresh slate and an opportunity for regular minutes.
The £110k-per-week ace has been described as a "warrior" and a "leader" by former left-back Ashley Cole, and he could bring both grit and dynamism to Newcastle, capable of flourishing both on the flank and in a left-sided centre-back position, emulating and even rivalling Burn's success at St. James' Park.
With Burn thriving from his makeshift role, a solid and often unflappable presence who ranks among the top 1% of full-backs over the past year for both rate of clearances and aerials won per 90, having also made 1.7 tackles per match in the Premier League, the polarity between the respective positional peers could not be starker, but this actually works into Howe's favour.
As mentioned before, Newcastle's deepening of competition and the – whether justified – expectation from many for silver-laden success and a repeat of top four qualification means providing fresh angles to the system could be imperative to achieving these towering targets.
Tierney would be an "unbelievable" signing, as he was dubbed by journalist Kris Boyd, and the Magpies would only take flight with his addition to the flourishing fold.
