Newcastle United made an enquiry with Arsenal over the availability of Ainsley Maitland-Niles this summer, joining Wolves in showing serious interest and were told he would cost £25m.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 01: Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement during the Heads Up FA Cup Final match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on August 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Adam Davy/Pool via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal takes a knee on August 01, 2020. (Photo by Adam Davy/Pool via Getty Images)

The Telegraph report that Newcastle United enquired with Arsenal over signing Maitland-Niles this summer. The Gunners reportedly responded with a £25m asking price, which is putting the Tyneside club off.

It was that same valuation which reportedly drove Arsenal to reject a £15m offer from Wolves last week. Newcastle and Wolves both remain interested in the player, who would reportedly be willing to move.

Wolves have the advantage if Arsenal stick to their £25m price tag. They’re bringing in £15m for the sale of Matt Doherty to Tottenham Hotspur, which would make up a significant portion of the purchase.

By comparison, Newcastle haven’t made any major sales and have a budget of between £30m and £35m for their entire summer business. So they may find it more difficult to justify £25m on one player.

In a way, it’s strange to see Maitland-Niles on the way out right now. He finally seems to be finding a spot in the starting lineup under Mikel Arteta, who appears to rate him as a player.

That’s why I think it’s so important for Arsenal to stand firm. This isn’t a player with an expiring contract or someone on the fringes of the squad. Nor is the 23-year-old really underperforming.

£25m is a fair price for a homegrown player, and a price Wolves or Newcastle should pay if they want him.

Speaking after the FA Community Shield win, in which Maitland-Niles was named Man of the Match, he said his “heart was with Arsenal” and he was “an Arsenal player until told otherwise”.

Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, said,”He has to be able to convince me every three days. At the moment he’s showing he can do it. I’m delighted for him because he’s changing a lot for things to become the player he is.

“The best way to show a player what I think of him is whether he plays or not.”