According to the Sun, Arsenal have surprisingly slapped a massive £30m price-tag on academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who looks set to be sold this summer in order to raise funds.
The Sun claim that the Gunners will look to cash in on the 22-year-old in a bid to raise transfer funds for Arteta, with money also needed to fund a potential new contract for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
It’s added that other stars that are up for sale like Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi will struggle to command considerable fees, hence this decision to move on academy graduate Maitland-Niles.
The Telegraph reported earlier that Mikel Arteta doesn’t actually want to sell the ace, Maitland-Niles has shown some promise after a difficult start under the Spaniard.
Versatile Maitland-Niles has won most of his minutes for Arsenal as a backup right-back, the former England youth international has also impressed in a wing-back role as of late.
The youngster played as a left wing-back in the shock FA Cup semi-final win against Manchester City before following that up with another solid outing in the final against London rivals Chelsea.
Maitland-Niles being deployed at left wing-back has played into the strengths of Aubameyang, Kieran Tierney usually shifts out to his natural position when the Gunners are using him as a left centre-back, when someone like Maitland-Niles comes short, this frees up space in behind for their prolific skipper.
The academy graduate also recorded the seventh-fastest top speed of the Premier League season with an impressive 23.27mph, as per the Mirror.
Whilst Maitland-Niles is certainly a promising talent that has shown that he’s at top-flight level over the last couple of seasons, a £30m fee for the ace seems very unrealistic.
I rate the utility man, but £30m for Maitland-Niles would be a stretch in a normal climate, with clubs massively hit financially due to the pandemic it will be impossible to net a fee like for the talent.