Mikel Arteta had meetings with the Arsenal chiefs over this summer recruitment plans but the Spaniard would have to renege on one of his requests, after it was overruled by the management.
The 38-year-old had requested that Ainsley-Maitland Niles should remain at the club but he was reportedly turned down by the board who prefer putting him up for sale to raise funds for other potential transfer targets this summer.
Niles, who has been with the club since 2003, progressed through the ranks and made his first-team debut in 2014, subsequently making a century of appearances for the north Londoners in all competitions, scoring three goals.
Arteta is said to be a big fan of his versatility, with his positional awareness meaning that he can be deployed across different positions, including as a full-back, wing-back, and even in midfield but despite masterminding the recent FA Cup success, the Arsenal gaffer would have to see his prized asset leave.
The 22-year-old has a contract running until 2023 and is believed to be content with remaining at the club, but dire financial straits have forced the Arsenal board into looking for alternate sources of raising funds and having recently cut down on their scouting network, the sale of fringe and first-team players looks likely to be the next route.
Apart from Maitland-Niles, other players reportedly on the list of those that can be sold include Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi but unlike the pair, Arteta has big plans for the Englishman going forward.
He had started the final FA Cup success over Chelsea, and was also prominent in the semi-final victory over Manchester City and his fine run of form post-lockdown convinced his manager that he could play a big role in the future.
However, that future sets to be away from the Emirates and it is believed that the club value him at £20m and Everton and Brighton are reportedly interested in acquiring his services, with Arteta consigned to losing him in order to accommodate new arrivals.
Among those expected to arrive are Willian from Chelsea and Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid, while club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also being lined up for a bumper contract.
Alongside the aforementioned names, the club are also believed to be willing to listen to offers for Saed Kolasinac, Rob Holding, and Shkodran Mustafi.
