Manchester City are set to ignore advice from their former striker, Andy Cole, by snubbing Arsenal star Kieran Tierney – once tipped to be a ‘future captain’ by Martin Keown – in favour of Brentford youngster Aaron Hickey. Pep Guardiola is expected to revamp his left-back options in the summer and the Scottish duo have both been linked to the Etihad Stadium.
City have had to reinvent things on the left side of defence after selling Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal last summer. With transfer recruit Sergio Gomez broadly failing to convince, Guardiola has mostly called on Nathan Ake – a centre-back by trade – to fill in.
And while he has taken to life on the left like a duck to water, the Sky Blues could still benefit from a more orthodox option as they look to continue competing on multiple fronts next season. Despite that, not many would have seen a move for the inexperienced Hickey coming.
According to The Sun, the Brentford star is front and centre of Guardiola’s planned shake-up, and they could get the deal done for £30million.
Antonee Robinson is also thought to be of interest, and the Fulham ace would be available at a similar price, but City are set to put all their eggs in Hickey’s basket due to the 20-year-old’s age and adaptability.
The former Bologna man has started 18 Premier League games for the Bees this season, during which he has shown an ability to play on both flanks. Guardiola’s tendency to test players in multiple positions may therefore sway City even further in Hickey’s direction ahead of the summer window.
Doing so would go against advice offered by Cole, who scored 10 goals in 23 matches for the Sky Blues in 2005/06. Discussing the future of Tierney, who was once touted as a ‘future Arsenal captain’ by Keown despite falling behind Zinchenko in the pecking order, Cole told King Casino Bonus: “If Manchester City are in for him, I could see that working.
“Tierney will want to play, and if he doesn’t continue to get any game time, he’ll be looking to go somewhere else in the summer. He’s never let Arsenal or Mikel Arteta down. Of course, he’s had a few injuries but he’s always played well. He’s a kid with a brilliant attitude.”
Even if City U-turn on their alleged interest in Hickey in the hope of inquiring about Tierney’s availability, they may not get the chance to do so as Newcastle United are reportedly preparing to lodge a £30m bid for the Scotland international.
Despite quickly reaching fan-favourite status after signing for the Gunners from Celtic in 2019, Tierney has been limited to just five Premier League starts this season as Zinchenko continues to impress.
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