Arsenal has made Ainsley Maitland-Niles available for transfer this summer, but the decision was made against the wishes of Mikel Arteta, it has been reported.
The Gunners are facing an important summer transfer window that they need to make additions to their team, yet there is limited cash for them to spend so they will have to be creative.
They look well-stock in the attack, but they will need some new faces in defence and in their midfield as well.
They have identified the likes of Lille’s Gabriel and Thomas Partey of Atletico Madrid.
And because the board will love to help Arteta get as many of his top targets as possible, they have decided to get rid of some players, with Maitland-Niles not immune to the shakeup.
The Telegraph claims that Arsenal put the 22-year-old up for sale against the wishes of the manager who has been impressed by the player’s showing just before the end of the season.
The Gunners have looked at their squad for the players that can fetch them some money and they have decided that Maitland-Niles has a nice value and he can bring in some cash for them.
Brighton has emerged as early contenders to sign him according to the same report.
I find it very difficult to believe that our Board would override the wishes of our Manager who has just delivered an FA Cup and who has openly sang the praises of AMN.
GRANDAD, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU IN NORMAL TIMES, BUT IN THIS PANDEMIC MANY HARD AND UNPLEASANT CHOICES HAVE TO BE MADE FOR FINANCIAL REASONS. Thus I expect AMN to leave, sadly.
Grandad and jon, if they follow the same approach they did with Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta will have minimal say. Emery wanted Partey, he got Torreira.
AMN played well thoughout the season, regardless of the position he was asked to play, and was dropped when playing well.
Arteta knows him well and I am sure he wants to retain him. However as jon states, it looks like AMN will be sacrificed as he is one of the few saleable assets Arsenal has and he is wanting more playing time. Personally, I would rather sell Bellerin
Unfortunately, it is thought as well as Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham is also interested in AMN. At 22, l am worried selling AMN is a decision Arsenal will come to regret.
✔✔✔. Keep him. Great passer of the ball, great going forward, great defender, great potential! Would anchor our midfield
Maitland Niles is not good enough to be sincere, we can’t use two games to think that now he has arrived yet he’s been here forever
He may leave unforunately :(. We cannot guarentee him a spot in the XI and that seems to be what he wants in his career right now, and rightfully so. The future of Bellerin may impact what happens to AMN too. I think we will start the season with him in the squad, but he may be gone by the time the window closes.
Given a choice rather have AMN starting at RB and move Bellerin elsewhere. Bellerin’s best attribute is his pace; which AMN also has loads of. Plus AMN is a better defender, younger, and more upside IMHO.
By the way, is Edu interested in anyone that’s not Brazilian? I love Martinelli, but with Luiz, Willan, and rumors of Gabriel and PC, Edu is quickly becoming a one trick pony.
Didn’t really work with Wenger and his British core, not confident with Edu and his Brazilian core.
Back to the topic at hand, if raising funds is the issue, rather see HB or Laca, Guendouzi, or Torreira moved on before AMN.
Well thankfully Edu doesnt hail from
Kazihkstan Durand. 😁😂
Agree that AMN should be 1st choice
RB over Bellerin but it doesnt seem
like the young Englishman fancies
any long term position other than
midfield. Sadly he ismt going to
start there for MA.
Can only see LT being sold, Laca and
Geundouzi as possible pieces in
swap deals.
Very true ACE, or hail from the States. Aside from Pulisic, MCKinney, and maybe Tyler Adams, our cubbard is bare.
Sadly I believe you’re right about AMN. He could take over the RB spot, but if his heart is set on a starting midfield role then he better look to lesser clubs or move overseas.
I wouldn’t be opposed to swap deals for those players, but agents tend to ruin that due to their fees.
Durand why would he look to lesser clubs? Any of the 5 clubs who finished directly above us in the league would be strengthened by adding AMN to their midfields.
If the rumour is true I just hope Mourinho doesn’t buy him!
Below us, Everton’s midfield is a mess and their keepers are rubbish. What if they came along and said ‘Sure, we’ll buy AMN – but Emi’s got to be part of the deal! We’ll give you 45 million for the pair of them – then you can buy Partey.’
Would we be interested?
Because AMN wants to start in midfield, and no way that happens with the clubs above us. If he isn’t guaranteed starting role with us, no way it’s happening at utd, city, pool, chelsea, Leicester, wolves, or even with spuds.
That’s why I saw lesser teams. Those teams finished below us in the table, hence lesser teams in both points and quality.
The 5 teams to which you are referring have better players than AMN already in midfield. I like AMN a lot, but I’m not delusional enough to think he would start in midfield at those clubs.
@GunnerJack That would be rather clever by Everton. I think you are correct that 45 M for those two could be very tempting for Arsenal.
I would miss both though, but realize that we have to get cash from somewhere.
Looks like we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one Durand. I don’t know ANY midfielder in the 5 teams just above us who is better than AMN – particularly has he hasn’t yet shown his full potential due to being played out of position most of the time. His last couple of games were excellent. There are a couple of players I’d class as good as AMN, but not better.
👍
Really GunnerJack? So you think AMN is better than Bruno Fernandez or Pogba at utd? Or better than KDB at city? C’mon now, i appreciate Arsenal players but I don’t go overboard with evaluations.
We seem to be looking at different aspects of midfield play.
Not sure AMN would be a creative midfielder as with your examples. More of a destroyer-come-starter of attacks with the occasional foray into scoring positions, like a box to box midfielder, not a no 10.
The only one he’s had chance to play against in midfield was Pogba, who was impressed by him.
I think he would also keep Bruno or KDB quiet if asked to do so – and if Mourinho buys him that’s probably what he would ask him to do.
I would also back AMN to keep any of our attacking midfielders quiet if he was playing for another team. He’s too fast and strong for them.
Just my opinion of course.
If this report is true, then I can’t see MA wanting to stay at the club.
Being undermined in this way, does not bode well for the future.
However, I have seen nothing official from the club, this is from the media only.
The same media who has linked the club with over 120 players since the last transfer window.
Ken, my worry is head coaches are cheaper to move on, than to buy them the players they need to succeed. Unai Emery revisited, in apparent (paper talk) lack of support to Mikel Arteta.
Sokratis
Chambers
Holding
Mustafi
Kolasnic
Torreira
Guendouzi
Miki (gone)
Elneny
Ozil (loan possibly)
All can be sold before AMN, Bellerin or Laca
Arsenal need to sign Willam, coutinho, partey,
It is not unusual for the board to disagree with the team manage, but in this case, it is just another example of how dysfunctional and inept the board and especially Raul and his lackey Edu really are.
Raul is too heavily influenced by agents like Kia, and AMN isn’t Brazilian enough for Edu based on his track record.
I don’t trust the board to get my grocery list right, forget about transfers. They are the most useless group of people, worse than a one hit wonder 80’s rock band. If Kronke wants to save millions, get rid of the lot of them, he owns 98% of Arsenal himself, bunch of overpaid yes men.
👍 You and I agree on this, Durand.
Niles is a young player arsenal still need him but change his position of play then you will get the better of him…
For me it looks bad 2 sell AMN coz he z a promising young lad 4 arsenal .rather sell bellerin en keep him (AMN)