Arsenal fans believe they have spotted a huge clue that Kieran Tierney is ‘100 per cent’ leaving this summer amid swirling exit rumours.
The Gunners treated supporters to a 4-1 demolition of Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night on their return to the Emirates.
In their penultimate pre-season game, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz were all on the scoresheet.
However, Tierney’s name was nowhere to be seen – not even on the matchday programme squad list.
That detail has sent fans into overdrive because even injured players are typically listed on the squad list.
Arsenal fans believe Kieran Tierney is ‘100 per cent leaving’ after spotting a key detail
He was omitted from Arsenal’s programme squad list for their 4-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen
‘Kieran Tierney isn’t even included on the matchday programme. He’s 100 per cent leaving,’ wrote one fan on X, formerly Twitter.
‘Same thing happened with [Nicolas] Pepe last season if I remember correctly,’ another said.
However, some think it could just have been a mistake as there were other errors such as William Saliba being listed as No 4 alongside Ben White.
Tierney has been linked with a move away after completing a loan with Real Sociedad last season. In February he exclusively opened up to Mail Sport about how much he was loving his time with the LaLiga club.
The 27-year-old Scottish full-back has two years left on his deal, which is worth in excess of £100,000 per week.
Asked in May by The Athletic if he had played his last game for Arsenal, he said: ‘There is every chance.
‘Look at the squad depth in that position now. They have Zinchenko, [Jurrien] Timber, [Takehiro] Tomiyasu, [Jakub] Kiwior. Four players can play there.
‘So if I go back and it’s the same as before then I’m not silly, I know the chances are I’ll be leaving.
Tierney lost his place in the 2022-23 season and spent last campaign with Real Sociedad
Arsenal have a wealth of left back options including £42million new man Riccardo Calafiori
Tierney admitted that there was ‘every chance’ he could leave the summer when asked in May
‘But you never know in football. You get the rare case with [William] Saliba, where he came back after a couple of good seasons [out on loan] but you don’t see it too often with someone who has played for four years, left, and then come back to play again.
‘Stranger things have happened. I could go back and there is a place for me. So I’m prepared for both.’
Arsenal signed Tierney from Celtic in 2019 for £25million and since then he has amassed 124 appearances for the north London outfit.
Zinchenko took his place in the 2022-23 season and Arsenal have now added Riccardo Calafiori, who can also play left back, from Bologna for £42m.
Tierney played in the first two games of Euro 2024 for Scotland but was stretchered off with a hamstring injury in the 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
Arsenal begin their Premier League campaign against Wolves at home on August 17 following their final friendly against Lyon this Sunday.
