Report: £20m target doesn’t want to join Wolves; hopes to stay at current club

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Wolverhampton Wanderers are offering Ainsley Maitland-Niles the chance to play regular first-team football but, according to the Mirror (27 August, page 53), the Arsenal academy graduate still has his heart set on staying at the Emirates.

While Wolves finished a place and three points ahead of the three-time Premier League champions last season, do not make the mistake in assuming Maitland-Niles sees a move to Molineux as a step forwards.

There is an air of cautious optimism hanging around the red half of North London these days.

Mikel Arteta has given a talented if underperforming squad the kick of the backside they were so badly needing, while securing a FA Cup triumph over Chelsea earlier this month.

As a result, Arsenal have also nabbed Wolves’ place in the Europa League ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

According to the Mirror, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have had an initial £15 million bid rejected for Maitland-Niles, although they are expected to make a new offer closer to Arsenal’s £20 million valuation.

The 22-year-old has also been made available for transfer.

But after rising through the ranks at the club he joined back in 2003, Maitland-Niles has no intention of walking away just as Arteta appears to have shaken the sleeping giants of English football from their slumber.

The England U21 international started just one of Arsenal’s last ten Premier League games but did feature for the full 90 minutes in those FA Cup clashes with Chelsea and Manchester City – albeit in an unfamiliar left wing-back role.