Arsenal ace in advanced loan transfer talks, another having medical before flying out to complete move tomorrow

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Arsenal reportedly look set to bid farewell to two players in the coming days, with Folarin Balogun and Ainsley Maitland-Niles heading out of the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners could do well to get rid of some squad players who aren’t currently competing for first-team places, though in many ways these are two players who could arguably be playing more than they have managed in recent times.

Balogun is an exciting youngster who could be useful up front amid Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s struggles, while Maitland-Niles’ versatility means he’s an option in a few different positions in defence or midfield.

Still, Balogun is closing in on a loan move to Middlesbrough, while Maitland-Niles is having a medical ahead of jetting off tomorrow to complete a move to Roma, according to Ryan Taylor in the tweet below…

Balogun will probably benefit from the experience of getting more playing time in the Championship, but Maitland-Niles is probably just preparing for a permanent exit.

It seems unlikely the 24-year-old will get a look-in after struggling to break into the side under Mikel Arteta so far, and one imagines AFC will live to regret this one if it goes through.

It will be interesting to see if Maitland-Niles can revive his career in Italy, as the likes of Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori have managed in recent times.

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