Former Arsenal right-back Lauren insists that Kieran Tierney still has a future at the Emirates Stadium despite a lack of game-time, asking Mikel Arteta: "Why would you sell him?'
Lauren, who was a right-back in the famous Arsenal Invincibles squad, is deemed as a club legend with the Gunners for his success at Highbury - and knows exactly what it takes to please fans in the red half of north London.
Yet Tierney, who moved to the Emirates Stadium on the back of huge breakthrough success at Celtic in 2019 under Unai Emery, has been devoid of game time this season with the success of Ukrainian star Oleksandr Zinchenko playing in an inverted wing-back role. The Scot has only started four games in the Premier League this season, being linked with moves to Newcastle and Inter Milan in the process.
But whilst his starts in the English top-flight have become a pressing issue, Lauren doesn't think Mikel Arteta should sell the former Celtic prodigy - asking the Spaniard 'why should you sell him' with the Gunners pressing for their first Premier League title in 19 years, alongside being all but guaranteed a Champions League spot.
Speaking to Sporting Post, Lauren said: "I don’t see why [Tierney] should go. If Arsenal don’t need the money, why would you sell him? He’s a very good player. We saw it against Spain in the recent international for Scotland and he played very well.
"He understands the ideas of Arteta now – rather than being in the wide areas, tucking inside and being like another midfield player, receiving the ball from the centre backs and then starting the moves from there. You need everyone and you need Kieran to be in the squad. You never know from now, anything can happen with injuries and he needs to be focused and to play the way he is being asked by Arteta. For next year it depends on what he wants. If he wants to be in a team week-in, week-out then it’s his decision. But for Arsenal you need the bigger squad and they should keep him."
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