Arsenal have reportedly offered West Ham the chance to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles on a permanent deal before the transfer window closes on September 1.
The England international, 24, could join Lucas Paqueta at the London Stadium as the Hammers are believed to be in talks with Lyon to sign the Brazilian winger, also 24. Arsenal have previously been linked with Paqueta, who has 33 senior caps at international level.
It's believed the Gunners are keen to sell Maitland-Niles before the end of this month. He's been at London Colney for 19 years and worked his way up through the ranks, making 132 appearances to date and winning three trophies - including the FA Cup.
Yet Maitland-Niles has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates under Mikel Arteta. He played just eight Premier League games last season and spent the second half of it on loan at Roma, helping Jose Mourinho's side win the inaugural Europa Conference League.
Maitland-Niles, who's also spent time on loan at Ipswich Town and West Brom, has one year left on his deal at the Emirates. The versatile star has the ability to play in several positions, including in central midfield, on the wing and at right-back.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Arteta would prefer to sell Maitland-Niles this month and get a transfer fee, or at least his wage bill off their books to free up space. It's claimed West Ham have been identified as a possible destination for the Englishman.
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If the Hammers are interested in Maitland-Niles, they could complete a double swoop in the next few days. As reported by Sky Sports, they've made a €40million (£33.75m) bid for Paqueta. It's unclear if their offer has been accepted by Lyon.
Paqueta's representatives are reportedly in London aiming to complete a deal with a Premier League club before the window closes on 1 September. The Gunners and Newcastle have previously been linked with the player, although it appears West Ham are winning the battle.
It's easy to see why David Moyes' side are interested in Paqueta. He scored nine goals and provided six assists in Ligue 1 last term. Only two players completed more dribbles than him (81), while he also ranked high in duels won (257) and through-balls attempted (16).
West Ham are in need of reinforcements after a poor start to the season. They finished seventh in the Premier League last term but have lost their opening three games this time around to Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
"We're just trying to get someone who can complement what we've got," Moyes said on Wednesday. "We've been trying to add to a lot of areas, and trying to improve areas where we could do with adding to. We want to add value to what we've got."
West Ham have already signed seven senior players this summer: goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, defenders Nayef Aguerd, Thilo Kehrer and Emerson Palmieri, midfielders Maxwel Cornet and Flynn Downes and striker Gianluca Scamacca.
