While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rightfully earned all the acclaim for his FA Cup final heroism, there was one man who certainly went under the radar that day at Wembley.
As Arsenal lifted a staggering 14th FA Cup, beating favorites Manchester City in the semi-finals before overtaking Chelsea’s top four in the final, Ainsley Maitland-Niles has more than proved his worth.
Maitland-Niles received rare appearances against City and Chelsea, with Mikel Arteta putting extreme faith in him by deploying him as left-back.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles shone for Arsenal on the club’s march to their 14th FA Cup triumph
Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of the 22-year-old but is forced to let him leave this summer
While there were concerns among many Arsenal fans about how it would fare in its unknown position on the left flank, Maitland-Niles superbly dealt with the threat from Riyad Mahrez, Mason Mount and Co.
But he wasn’t alone in defense where he excelled, showing his impressive offensive skills as Arsenal continued to dominate the FA Cup.
And after the massive win over City favorites in the semifinals, Arteta hailed Maitland-Niles for his performance.
Asked if he expected the 22-year-old to play as well as in the win against Pep Guardiola’s team, Arteta emphatically replied: ‘Absolutely. And I was sure with the way he trains, the way he changed his mentality and his way of thinking.
‘He has everything, he has great qualities, I believe in him. I had to give him opportunities and today he took it with both arms. He had a really good performance. ‘
This was hugely significant praise for a young man who has yet to reach the pinnacle of his game, having frustrated many fans with his inconsistent performances over the past two seasons.
Maitland-Niles is on the verge of closing a £ 20m move to the Premier League Wolves
Maitland-Niles has become Arsenal’s utility, being considered a right-back as a substitute in place of Hector Bellerin, while also being able to play in the center of midfield, his favorite position.
But within weeks of Arteta’s encouraging words, the young Englishman is on the verge of a £ 20m transfer to Premier League rivals, the Wolves.
The move contradicts Arteta’s recent assessment, but the club is in need of a squad overhaul after a disastrous Premier League campaign.
Arteta has been forced to put the youngster up for sale to raise vital transfer funds to acquire priority goals, including Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey, as they are on the verge of wrapping up a £ 27m move for Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille.
Maitland-Niles is set to become the last youngster to leave the Emirates, but the club appears to trust Emile Smith Rowe for the pass, having dismissed an approach from Monaco for the 20-year-old attacking midfielder.
Arteta would have been keen to keep Maitland-Niles in the Emirates this summer because he knows how big a future he might have.
Arsenal left Serge Gnabry in 2016 and did great things with Bayern Munich
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool
Maitland-Niles has immense pace and power and can be a real strength as a right-back in his day. Also, Bellerin’s injuries are catching up with him while Cedric Soares has yet to convince in North London.
And as Maitland-Niles prepares to leave the Emirates, the news was met with mixed reviews from Arsenal fans.
On the one hand, they would have received a decent £ 20 million fee for an inconsistent artist who has not yet realized his potential, while others have complained that they have lost an academy graduate – he’s been in the club since 2003 – who has done so a lot. more to give.
It is always a sad sight to see a talented young man leave the club and Arsenal fans have experienced this quite a bit lately, particularly with the departures of Serge Gnabry and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Gnabry would go on to exceed all expectations by becoming a vital cog in Bayern Munich’s triple-winning team that lifted the Champions League on Sunday as Oxlade-Chamberlain won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool, albeit not becoming the star. show business under Jurgen Klopp as injuries continue to haunt his career.
Raising £ 20 million for Maitland-Niles is a gamble, but it would help Arteta buy elsewhere
Now Arteta has been forced to grit his teeth and give the green light to the departure of Maitland-Niles, and will pray that his exit does not return to haunt the Gunners.
But while the club has regretted some sales decisions in the past, many have paid off, most notably Alex Iwobi’s £ 35 million sale to Everton.
If Arsenal can recover another £ 20m from Maitland-Niles on top of the £ 35m they got from Iwobi and Oxlade-Chamberlain starts, the Gunners are showing signs of knowing how to play the transfer market.
But Arteta will only be comfortable with the exit of Maitland-Niles if the Arsenal board follows his transfer strategy.
If Arsenal continue their rebuilding by convincing Partey and Co to join the likes of Gabriel, William Saliba and Willian in the Emirates, then £ 20m for a partially Emirati player could represent a good deal, and now it looks like the club are ready to act mercilessly.
Arsenal are in desperate need to involve Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey this summer
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