Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Kieran Tierney will not be joining Wolves or Leicester City this summer, with Mikel Arteta making it clear that the defensive duo have a bright future at Arsenal, according to 90Min.
At the start of the summer, there appeared to be a very real chance that the Gunners were going to bid farewell to a pair of highly-rated and hungry young Brits who were just starting to establish themselves at the Emirates Stadium.
Tierney, a humble and unassuming character who left his Glasgow home for the bright lights of London last summer, was apparently feeling a little homesick south of the border.
Maitland-Niles, meanwhile, had made it clear that he wanted to play in central midfield – not the wide, defensive role he has often occupied during the reigns of Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta.
But, in what a major boost to Arsenal’s plans going forward, 90Min reports that both Tierney and Maitland-Niles have been removed from the transfer market after convincing Arteta that they have a big role to play in north London.
Tierney, who had been lined up for a reunion with ex-Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers at Leicester, has comfortably ousted Sead Kolasinac to become Arsenal’s first-choice left-back, impressing everyone with his boundless energy and a competitive streak honed during a run of four successive Premiership titles at Celtic.
Maitland-Niles, meanwhile, was on the verge of joining Wolverhampton Wanderers recently.
But the 22-year-old has now silenced those who questioned his attitude and ability, shining en route to Arsenal’s 14th FA Cup triumph last season while earning a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the first time.
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