Kieran Tierney suffers major Mikel Arteta U-turn as Celtic and Sociedad offer salvation

There's only one outcome for Kieran Tierney after Mikel Arteta showed him the door at London Colney.

The Arsenal boss had offered Tierney a reprieve last week – even if no one truly believed it. Arteta had revealed there was still hope for the Scotland international – only to slam the door shut his face just a few days later by ostracising him from the squad.

Tierney was ordered to train alone – a slap in the face for a player who has even Carlo Ancelotti among his admirers. Brendan Rodgers is another but more of him later. It's now inevitable that he'll depart the Gunners before the transfer window closes next week - this just a week after Arteta insisted he was saying before banishing Tierney from the first team group. But it won't be the North east after Newcastle's long-time interest, nor Madrid despite Ancelotti's admiration. It seems Tierney's options, at least for now, are limited.

Could a homecoming to Celtic be on the cards? Well, Rodgers has refused to rule it out. He said earlier this summer that it was a nice thought, then he wasn't prepared to deal in "what ifs." It would of course be a no-brainer if the Hoops cold bring him home, but a loan is their best bet and even then, wage contributions could prove troublesome.

Rodgers' priorities are elsewhere. He's lost three central defenders to injury and badly needs cover. A winger is also on his shopping list with Luis Palma at the top of it. After defeat to Kilmarnock, the Celtic boss admitted he needed more experience in the squad. Tierney would add that, but at a premium.

So it seems like Real Sociedad will win the race. They're a big club playing in a strong league, but it's not the move anyone would have expected for Tierney. However, it does offer crack at