Atletico Madrid will spend the final days of the transfer window attempting to strike a deal to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Arsenal, according to Don Balon.
Maitland-Niles was a prominent figure in Mikel Arteta’s first season in charge of the Gunners, hence why he was able to earn a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad. However, his significance has lessened this term, with Premier League game-time increasingly hard for him to come by.
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As per Don Balon, Atletico Madrid are hoping to take advantage of the situation, with a loan deal being a possibility, which would give Maitland-Niles a greater chance of playing football in the second half of the campaign, and at a higher level than he is currently at the Emirates, too.
The only potential downside to allowing that one to happen is that Don Balon report Simeone’s intention would be to use him as a right-back, which of course, is not Maitland-Niles’ natural position. It’s unclear whether Arsenal would be happy to see him leave on loan to play in that role.
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