Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth is believed to be interested in a summer move for Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney, with the Scotland international currently struggling for game-time in north London.

What's the latest on Tierney to Newcastle?

According to Football Insider, the Magpies are said to be 'closely monitoring' the 25-year-old ahead of a potential swoop at the end of the season, with the Carabao Cup finalists set to be 'in the market' for a new left-back despite their bid to tie down Dan Burn to a new deal.

The report suggests that the 35-cap machine - who signed for the Gunners for £25m from Celtic in 2019 - could potentially be up for grabs for a fee of around £30m, having lost his place to Oleksandr Zinchenko in Mikel Arteta's side.

This follows a report from the same publication which suggested that Ashworth and co are also looking at Fulham's Antonee Robinson as an alternative option to bolster their backline, albeit with Premier League champions Manchester City also in the mix for the USA international's signature.

How good could Tierney and Botman be together?

The prospective arrival of Tierney could well help to strengthen what remains the meanest defence in the division, with Eddie Howe's relentless side having only shipped 15 goals in 23 top-flight outings to date this season.

A key factor in that stark improvement from last season - when the Tynesiders conceded 62 goals in the league alone - has been the arrival of former Lille defender Sven Botman, with the £35m addition having made a "huge difference" to the side, according to journalist Josh Bunting.

The 6 foot 4 "leader" - as hailed by Bunting - has helped to keep nine clean sheets from his 21 appearances in the Premier League so far this term, notably winning a solid 68% of his duels while averaging 3.5 clearances and 1.2 interceptions per match in that time.

The "incredible" Dutchman, as described by pundit Leon Osman, has proven to be something of a rock in his left-sided centre-back berth, and it's a mouthwatering prospect to imagine throwing Tierney into the mix alongside him at left-back.

The former Parkhead star is also something of a defensive menace, having previously been described as a "warrior" by ex-England international Ashley Cole. The relentless Arsenal ace has also mirrored Botman in being praised as a "leader", as per Cole.

Tierney would also be able to provide the benefit of offering a real attacking thrust down the left flank at St James' Park, showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 7% for progressive passes among his European peers, and in the top 13% for progressives carries. The aforementioned Burn ranks in just the bottom 12% and the bottom 4% for those same two metrics respectively.

An approach for the Scotland international was previously given the backing of pundit Joe Cole back in 2021 following the arrival of PIF at St James' Park.

The retired playmaker stated at the time: “Kieran Tierney as well, is another who is out of the team at Arsenal, I think would be fantastic. I think he’s ideal for Newcastle, fits right in and he needs a new challenge. I don’t know why he’s not playing regularly at Arsenal recently."

With the 5 foot 10 defender's situation having failed to improve since then - starting just four league games this season - it could well be an opportune time for Newcastle to pounce, with the prospect of partnering Botman with Tierney one that Howe simply can't turn down.