Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

4 transfer decisions that cost Arsenal tens of millions

By Ross Kennerley

Middlesbrough's English defender Calum Chambers looks dejected at the draw at the end of the English Premier League football match between Middlesbrough and Manchester City at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, northeast England on April 30, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Lindsey PARNABY / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)
Middlesbrough's English defender Calum Chambers looks dejected at the draw at the end of the English Premier League football match between Middlesbrough and Manchester City at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, northeast England on April 30, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Lindsey PARNABY / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Ainsley Maitland-Niles
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 13: Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal looks dejected following their sides defeat in the Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images ) /

3. Ainsley Maitland-Niles – £15m

Another one to add to the scrapbook.

However, this one comes with mitigation as even supporters felt it was an offer not representative of the player at the time.

Indeed, Sky Sports reported that a £15m bid was rejected by Arsenal for Ainsley Maitland-Niles in August of 2020, with Wolves expected to up their bid to £20m.

There was no definitive answer on whether the second offer arrived but there was a general consensus that it was the right decision. After all, Maitland-Niles had broken into the England squad and just put in man of the match performances at Wembley playing in the left wing-back slot.

Why should Arsenal sell?

Well, this is where the excuses end. Shunning a sale would only make sense if he were kept in the starting lineup. A better wing-back than a full-back, if Arteta had always planned to revert to a back four and play Kieran Tierney at left-back (and keep Bellerin at right-back after turning down £30m) then why did he keep Maitland-Niles?

12 months on and the player was receiving derisory loan bids from Everton and taking to social media to express his anguish.

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