'Magnificent' defender Newcastle wanted is set to miss three months of action due to new injury

At the end of last season many reports suggested that Newcastle United were going to sign Arsenal's Kieran Tierney.

Kieran Tierney got his Arsenal career off to a blinder after his move from Celtic, and from a personal point of view, he caught my eye instantly, so when Oleksandr Zinchenko moved to the Emirates and displaced the Scotland international from the side, I started to get my hopes up.

Tierney's career has been blighted by injuries, especially since signing for Arsenal but I was convinced he could still come good, and when Newcastle were perpetually linked with a move for the 26-year-old, I was sure it was going to be a done deal and a quality move.

My thoughts on Tierney were echoed by Neil Lennon who told BBC Five Live that he believes Tierney to be better than Zinchenko, going as far as to call him 'magnificent'.

However, I seemed to be very much in the minority as Newcastle fans expressed concerns over Tierney's fitness given just how much football he's missed over the last couple of seasons.

I was blinkered though, as I'd seen Tierney looking absolutely outstanding a few times and wanted him at Newcastle, so I'd convinced myself that he would return from injury and Eddie Howe would manage him properly and we'd get the best out of him.

Clearly, those behind the scenes at Newcastle shared fans' concerns and no actual approach for Tierney was made by the Magpies with the Scotland full-back heading to Real Sociedad in the summer instead.

Now, after just six appearances for the Spanish side, Tierney faces a lengthy layoff after picking up a hamstring injury as reported by The Chronicle.

So it seems I was wrong and the majority was right. The fact that Tierney is made of similar stuff to the cast of South Park was a genuine cause for concern and it seems like Newcastle dodged a bullet in swerving Tierney and opting instead for Lewis Hall.