Tottenham preparing a £20 million bid for Ainsley Maitland Niles
Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a £20 million bid for Ainsley Maitland Niles, according to the Daily Mail.
Arsenal are willing to listen to offers for Maitland Niles and could decide to cash in on him if they receive an offer in excess of £20 million. The Gunners are open to the idea of selling him because they are looking to raise funds to make signings this summer.
Jose Mourinho has lost faith in Serge Aurier and the Ivorian full back is expected to depart the club this summer. Maitland Niles is a central midfielder but has proven to be an effective option at both right back and right wing back. He has even played as a left wing back on occasion. Tottenham are believed to view his versatility as a big advantage.
The 22 year old is an Arsenal academy graduate. He made his debut for the Gunners in a Champions League match against Galatasaray in 2014. He has scored three goals and provided five assists in 100 appearances for the North London club. This season, he made 33 appearances in all competitions.
Maitland Niles did not feature regularly for the Gunners this season but earned the trust of head coach Mikel Arteta towards the end of the campaign and started in both the semi final and final of the FA Cup as Arsenal won the cup for the fourteenth time in their history. He put in very impressive performances in both games.
Mikel Arteta and Maitland Niles seemed to indicate that his future was at Arsenal but it looks like there is a very real possibility that he will leave the club this summer.
