According to The Sun, Arsenal are willing to part ways with Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the next transfer window. The club believe his sale would generate £20m, a fee that would finance a contract extension with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Another way to use the money would be to fund a deal for Celtic's Odsonne Edouard. The Gunners will go for the Frenchman in case the 30-year-old fails to agree a new deal with the club.
The Sun is not considered a reliable source but they do get things right occasionally. Provided that Arsenal suffer from the crisis caused by the pandemic, we would not rule out the scenario in which the club would sell Maitland-Niles to keep Aubameyang.
However, Mikel Arteta has recently shown signs that he considers Ains a part of his future plans.
The Spaniard deployed the 22-year-old in his natural central midfield position in both of the friendlies against Charlton and Brentford, indicating a new beginning for the Englishman.
Earlier, it was claimed that Arsenal had transfer-listed Ainsley, with AC Milan and Internazionale reportedly keen on the versatile player.
Speaking of Aubameyang, the forward's deal runs out next season so the Gunners face a dilemma: sell him now or part ways with him in 2021 for free. Of course, unless he signs a new contract with the club.
It is believed that Mikel Arteta is going to personally intervene in contract talks and try to convince the Gabon international that he will have a chance to win trophies at Arsenal.
Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard is heavily linked with a move to the Emirates but he apparently wants to stay at Parkhead for one more year to win their historic tenth Scottish Premiership title in a row.
Do you think it would be wise to sell Ains and use the money to offer a new contract to Auba? Tell us in the comments or via our blogging platform!
