Ainsley Maitland-Niles was one of the Arsenal players that were expected to leave the club at the end of last season.
He had been in fine form for Arsenal towards the end of that campaign. But the club needed funds and they wanted to cash in on him so that they could sign their top transfer targets.
They transfer-listed him and there was interest from Wolves and Brighton. The former reportedly made a bid for him, but it was turned down.
He started this season in even better form and he earned an England call up after his fine performance in the Community Shield.
Eventually, the club didn’t sell him and talk of a transfer away from the club was halted early on in the transfer window.
The midfielder has now revealed that he stayed at The Emirates because of Mikel Arteta.
He claimed that the Spanish manager showed enough trust in him and there was no need for him to move.
‘There was a lot of speculation going around, but I chose to stay at the club I love,’ said Maitland-Niles as quoted by Metro Sports.
‘I am happy with my decision and I am sure the manager is happy that I stayed as well.
‘It was about the manager having faith in me and him letting me know what’s going on and the situation. He did that and everything was fine in the end.
‘He just installed a lot of confidence in me that I had in myself, but maybe I didn’t know how to bring out. He has helped me do that.
‘We work well as a team together and he knows how to get the best out of me, and now I am learning to get the best out of myself more regularly now.
‘I can only thank him along the way and carry on the run of form we have had.’
Never mind this, Oh dear Leno?
Sold the wrong keeper
AMN is like Saka who is ready to learn and play any position in the club as the need arises. Any player who sticks only on his natural position does not want to be Versatile and those kind of players should easily be sold out.
The fact that AMN did not start against Vienna surprised and disappointed me particularly when Arteta rested Bellerin and Tierney.Soares and Kolasinac are clearly limited in ability which begs the question when is AMN likely to be used and where?Where exactly does he fit into the scheme of things under MA ?
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Just a thought Grandad but was Arteta expecting an easier game and was saving some of them for the weekend? AW used to put out a weakened team and then if it went wrong the big guns came on to get the team over the line. You’re much more tactically aware than me so clearly you are concerned
Sue, I just feel that AMN needs to get a more defined role in the team if he is to fulfil his potential.To me he is clearly not suited to the left side , but is far more comfortable driving forward from the right.Personally, I think he is the best right back we have and that is where I would play him or at RWB if we play three at the back.
Thanks Grandad
Exactly what I also think Grandad. He is right footed and not s comfortable othr left Bellerin and Soares are not good enough, simple as that, so RB or RWB should always be his position He is at least as quick as Bellerin, quicker actually, and far more defensively reliable. I regard him as our first choice RB and was surprised not to see him play at Rapid.
I DO think MA thought we could win there with a sub strength team and in the end he was right, but I do not think he WANTED to have to use Auba. But as the defence was so shaky he needed to do so. Not a perfect plan really but hopefully he will have learned something important from it.
So we turned down at least 20M for ANM during the transfer window,played him in the FA cup final and the community shield but he has barely played since the start of the season, wouldn’t it have been better to sell him and use the money to get Aouar ?