Arsenal are reportedly ready to allow Ainsley Maitland-Niles to leave for around £10million this summer as it’s emerged that he looks unlikely to have a future at loan club Roma.
The 24-year-old moved on loan to the Stadio Olimpico in January after barely featuring for the Gunners in the first half of the season, but he’s not quite done enough to impress in his time in the Italian capital.
According to the Daily Mirror, Roma are now unlikely to keep Maitland-Niles, which will likely open the door for him to move to a Premier League club in the summer.
The report notes that although Arsenal blocked Maitland-Niles from joining Everton for £10m last summer, they would probably accept that kind of offer for him now.
It remains to be seen which clubs will come in for the England international, but he surely won’t be short of suitors after showing plenty of promise in his career so far.
Despite underwhelming loan spells at Roma and West Brom, Maitland-Niles previously looked like he could go on to become a key player for Mikel Arteta, and some fans will have been surprised when he fell down the pecking order.
That has perhaps dented the player’s confidence, but he could surely do a job for most top flight clubs if he’s given the chance and has a manager who’ll show faith in him.
Let him go
He wanted to go because he said he was too good to be a squaddie on the bench. He went. He screwed up.
Why do commentators always blame managers/coaches and allege draining of confidence by their handling of a player.
He needs to take a good look at himself first.